Environmental protection and preservation are what the world needs. Nowadays, we hear about natural and man-made disasters affecting our environment and ecosystem, which significantly affect how we live.
We may see or hear about deforestation, illegal logging, forest wildfires, and illegal mining from the news. Some of these activities are natural, while others may result from massive industrialization and greed. We may hear about it and have witnessed some of it.
In the Philippines, we have several groups and personalities: environmental warriors, environmental activists, and Philanthropists who deeply show their love and concern for our ecological welfare. One of those personalities I genuinely admire, and respect is Gina Lopez, who advocated and founded several foundations supporting environmental protection.
I consider Gina Lopez as the Mother Teresa of the Philippines. As a missionary in Europe, Africa, and India for 2 decades, she has developed a Divine consciousness by devoting her time and energy to serving the marginalized, underprivileged, and poor in love and spirit.
With the higher consciousness she attained in her mission abroad, she returned to her origin in the Philippines to spearhead the Foundation of one of the country's largest media companies. She founded the Bantay Kalikasan, which cause is to protect the environment and natural resources. She was also active in the rehabilitation effort of the Pasig River, and one of the advocates for the La Mesa Ecopark considered the last and remaining forest in Metro Manila.
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| Team building at the LA Mesa Ecopark in May 2011 |
Gina Lopez may not be able to witness how far her efforts have gone since she passed away, but her spirit, as she said, will always be alive. She will remain a well-loved personality since she has touched so many lives through her breakthrough projects and various social development programs.
Gina Lopez was a visionary. She has a great love for Filipino people, and once she uttered that if 'heaven is made from people's hearts, she thinks that we can build heaven in the Philippines' and profoundly believes that we can fly high and make things happen. This is her vision, and if we think we can do it, we will experience a piece of heaven on earth, not a fantasy, but our shared reality.
Gina Lopez envisioned a natural environment that is sustainable through Ecological tourism or known as Farm tourism. She was one of those who believed that we can achieve prosperity through harmony with nature.
As an environmental advocate, I patronize the emerging rise of the country's farm tourism industry, and it will become a living trend not only today but in the years to come.
Our love for our country can be shown through the kind of environment that we live in. We envision the next generations breathing fresher air, being under the shade of a tree, seeing the forest, and benefiting from the natural resources we have protected and preserved.
We may have lost a strong leader and Environmental protector, but her legacy will remain in our hearts as she envisioned the heaven we all deserve to live in.
© 2019 Del Cusay
