Our culture, our languages, our species

I have learned about our endangered languages in my field, and the grave importance of saving and preserving them should not be any less than that of our endangered species. The problem however, is that even though there have been a lot of major pursuits to save these species, especially our marine species, the overall picture remains bleak and grim. Witnessing the exotic and preserved beauty of the coral reefs at Lian, Batangas, I began to contemplate about their national condition and if this shall be the only place I will be able to see such magnificence again.

The Philippines, as the center of marine biodiversity is part of a larger system called the Coral Triangle, where in the Philippines alone 76% of all known corals are found. If this is so, it should be truly alarming that as of 2012, according to the Department of Energy and Natural Resources (DENR) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), only 5% of the country's coral reefs remain in perfect condition; only 1% remain pristine. That's about 1000km2 left for us to get a glimpse of real, untouched coral reefs, all that was left of the 27 000km2 coral area in the Philippines. 75% of the area is already hopeless because of overfishing, coral bleaching, coastal erosion and illegal, unregulated and unreported extraction of marine wealth, according to DENR.

The issue here is not merely about nice-looking coral reefs that need to be preserved; it's also and largely about 96 million Filipinos near the coasts struggling to make a living; P1.1B at risk of being lost every year as such Filipino trademarks feed our economic stability through tourism and employment; the 500 coral species only found in the Philippines out of the 800 species at risk of being washed out of the oceans forever.

Of course, these are all just numbers, but we would not want to feel and experience the food shortage, the economic downfall, and the guilt until it's too late. May we help, in any way that we can, to preserve what is uniquely ours--our culture, our languages, our species.

A Gift to Nature: Figaro Tree Planting and Eco Tour

3 cups of coffee= 9 coffee trees. That hit me hard and had proven me guilty as I remembered the times when I drank more than three cups of coffee a day and I didn't even know it cost more than a dozen trees. And I'm truly glad and honored that I could repay nature after I participated in Figaro's Tree Planting and Eco Tour, organized by Figaro Coffee Company in collaboration with the Figaro Foundation Corporation, last November 5 at Brgy. Esperanza, Alfonso, Cavite with famous bloggers, Figaro Club members, franchisees and business partners.

I truly learned a lot about coffee as Mr. Emil Cuaresma of the Figaro Foundation gave trivias and a lecture about the origin of coffee in the Philippines and its four main varieties, namely Arabica, Liberica, Excelsa and Robusta.

It felt like an educational field trip as we first visited the Gourmet Farms, one of Figaro's partners proudly unveiling their rich diversity of herbs and coffee and their bigger plantations which use organic fertilizers and the traditional carabao for tilling the land. I was overwhelmed to see firsthand and even smell the fresh rosemary herbs that Jamie Oliver of TLC always uses in his mouth-watering dishes. We also spotted Sharon Cuneta's Herb Collection of peppermint, rosemary and lemongrass.

I equally enjoyed their refreshing Banaba drink after the long but rejuvenating walk around the farm.

"From crop to cup." The aromatic scent of coffee and herbs wafting through the air and greeting us the moment we stepped foot on the entrance of the farm simply proved how fresh and organic coffee are produced at Gourmet Farms. We also toured the factory where they manufacture coffee and I learned that roasting coffee beans to catch that desired flavor sure isn't an easy job, as their taste instantly changes in a matter of seconds if the time limit for roasting was not followed.

After a hearty lunch prepared by the host family of the coffee farm that felt very provincial to me for the very first time, Mr. Crismel Verano, CEO of Figaro acknowledged the family and imparted the concept of giving back to nature and the project's significant contributions to help the coffee farmers and of course, the economy of the Philippines. The project also attempts to make the country one of the top exporters of coffee in the world, as it once had been.

The tree planting experience was something I would never forget and I'm proud of as I was able to repay nature even though I'm still a student. These kinds of activities I'd proudly say as the "real" projects that truly contribute something productive for the community and the country even in its little ways. Most of all, it made me discover the true meaning of responsibility as shared by Mr. Verano.

It was truly an unforgettable experience, especially that I could not  fully enjoy what nature could offer anymore as I was born in the city, and not to mention with famous bloggers and with my mentor and food blogger Ms. Josephine Bonsol. Thank you very much to Ms. Annesy Del Mundo for letting me experience this wonderful trip with a great cause and gave me the opportunity to give back to and mingle with nature.