El Niño is no joke. It makes us sick. It is the real misery of our country. It has affected all living creatures because it has brought so much suffering, like a taste of hell on earth.
A burning temperature, yes, can literally burn and melt. This is a worse kind of man-made weather phenomenon. It is as if we are being fried in our own oil as we pay the price for the hurt and abuse we have inflicted on Mother Nature.
It has affected the daily routines and activities of people, especially those who work under the heat of the sun, like our farmers, construction workers, traffic enforcers and many others. We cannot hide or escape from such a situation. The agricultural sectors have lost massive production and this may eventually lead to food shortages and worse, hunger. Farm animals have nothing to eat because the grass is turning brown. Even the trees cannot survive this prolonged dry and hot weather. Their roots have no water to absorb, so they simply die prematurely. I remember we used to collect grass or rice straw from a town to help my father feed his farm animals.
There are many unusual things happening underwater, so even marine life and its inhabitants are being disturbed by this climate change. We could hardly bear the heat index reaching dangerous levels. Even schools have cancelled classes when the heat index is very high. The government is worried about the health of our children, even of the teachers who have comorbidities. So education is being sacrificed. We are reminded of a pandemic. So sad.
This scorching temperature has changed my mood. It makes me lazy and uncomfortable. Sometimes I want to do or accomplish something, but I am hindered by this hot temperature.
We pray to the Lord and ask for God’s mercy for the grace of rain as soon as possible so that we can still save some trees and the grass will grow green again and quench our thirst for rain and water.
Even the government encourages the planting of indigenous trees that are known to withstand both dry and wet seasons. Sometimes we feel hopeless because we want to help plant as much as we can, but it is not sustainable when the weather is like this. There is a shortage of water.
Water is as precious as gold. We can live without gold, but we cannot live without water. Truly, water is life. I pray that it is never too late for us to save our dying country. We can be a hero in our own little way, just as a hero saves. Healing is a long-term process. It does not happen overnight or in a month or a year, it takes a decade to grow a tree. But we can change the world if each of us takes responsibility.
As we celebrate the 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines. The Chaplaincy to Filipino Migrants organises an on-line talk every Tuesday at 9.00pm. You can join us at:
https://www.Facebook.com/CFM-Gifted-to-give-101039001847033
May El Niño help open our eyes and minds to the value and importance of water. Water plays a crucial role in a balanced ecosystem, and so do we.
Lynn Salinas-Batoliño
The Philippines
