On the Values of

IPs & the Environment

Del Rosario, Ma. Eddel Francesca

Like many of the everyday people, I did not know much about Indigenous People (IPs) except for
the names of the most common groups, and thoseseen in the news. With my lack of consciousness, I knew
they are important but I did not know exactly why. For the majority of us belonging to the globalized
contemporary society, the many groups of Filipino indigenous people compromise a largely invisible
minority we do not fully understand and often end up oppressing. It was only this time that I really got to
know why the term IPs are thrown around in discourses and legislation. They are important, not just
because of their name, but because of the culture and values they carry.
The indigenous people have cultural traits and values that allow them to live sustainably and with
harmony in nature. They recognize the environment as imperative to their physical and cultural survival.
With this consciousness, they treat nature and each other with respect. Their valuation systems are very
different from our current values which we inherited from our colonizers. We subscribe to our exploitative
systems where we take as much as we can our present comfort without being able to think of the future. We
have become used to thinking exploitatively that cheating on the environment and other people became
justifiable. We lack the values t. The reason why many of our efforts to save the environment and make a
better society for everyone takes so long is because we do not have the values that our indigenous people
have.
We have advanced well in technology, but we have lost a lot in our values. In that aspect, we can
learn a lot from our indigenous brothers and sisters who knew how to live sustainably even before the term
Sustainable Development was coined. Even with our fancy gadgets, one can say that the IPs are wiser as they
possess the wisdom passed from generations to generation all in good will. Because of their values, I can say
that the indigenous people are a precious resource. They are the rare gems of our society.
Many people see our IPs as poor and uneducated. While this can be a bit true, it is also incorrect.
They are poor financially, but it is only because they do not need our monetary system in their way of living.
They are uneducated because they do not go to our schools, but they are educated by their elders and have
rich indigenous knowledge about their environment. Just because they do not fit or ascribe into our modern
culture does not mean that they are any less than us. They are simply oppressed and undermined.
Only after the discussion on indigenous people and the importance of values did I realize how I
should think more about my lifestyle and choices. Diversity matters, not just in our ecosystems but in our
cultures. We do not all need to think the same way, nor do we need to drink the same coffee. We do not all
need to look like Ellen Adarna or Derek Ramsey, nor do we need to be all engineers. We need to value that
there are many types of beautiful faces, beautiful rice varieties, beautiful jobs, and beautiful drinks. We need
to appreciate the different cultures we have in the Philippines, before going in awe of countries abroad.
Its just that we tend to forget and be mindful of our lifestyle and way of thinking while we are
following the waves of the society we grew up in. We need to have consciousness of the cultures from which
we came from and trace ourselves back to our roots. We need to have respect for people, even those we do
not regularly interact with like our indigenous communities, and most especially, respect for the environment
like our IPs have.
 Reflections on Pocahontas
Del Rosario, Ma. Eddel Francesca

As a child, I grew up singing the songs of Classic Disney. The songs of Pocahontas were one of
them, and I can sing many of the movies songs by heart. I have watched the movie as a child, however, it
was a different experience watching the movie all over again as a young adult studying environmental
science.
The movie shows two different worldviews held by two different groups of people. There were the
native americans who lived in tune with the environment and valued their relationships. On the other hand,
there were the Englishmen who viewed the world as a place to conquer and give them riches.
The tribe of Pocahontas is a community who lived with regards to others. They value each person,
their relationships with each other, and the safety of their whole village. They do not simply think of
themselves, but of their culture and community. They will fight for their tribe and act on their own
assignments for the benefit of the whole tribe. On the other hand, the group of John Smith have little regard
for other people. For them, their own self interest and self preservation come before others. They have little
sense of camaraderie as seen on the first scene of the movie. It was only John Smith who dared to risk his
life for his mate who fell from the ship. He believed that they would do he same to him, but from the looks
of them, they would rather have left him die in the storm. The Englishmen believed in Each to his own.
Their ambitions also differ. While Pocahontas dreamed for her path in life the same way her
mother did, the Englishmen dream of mountains of gold and big houses. The motivation for the expedition,
in the first place, was to get mountains of gold enough for him to be crowned the King of England.

As they think they are superior to nature, they also believe they were superior to other people.
They label other people as savages thinking of them as ignorant simply because they are different from
them and do not posses the same technology as they do. For the englishmen, the tribe of Pocahontas is
primitive and uncivilized. On the contrary, the Englishmen are the real savages in the story. It is them who
are violent, uncontrollably ravaging the surface of the Earth for their own glory and without any regard of
anything else they undermine to get what they want. The real savages are those who bring meaningless
destruction along their path
In the end, the movie was not just about Native Americans vs Englishmen, or exploiters vs
environmentally friendly people. It was more about love and compassion and its battle against fear, greed,
hate, and lack of compassion. All of these negative values can lead to nothing but war and destruction: not
just the loss of life, but the destruction of nature. Our fear of the unknown or people we do not know needs
to be met with courage, understanding, and respect to recognize those with cultures different from them.
Our good values are deep inside of us and can be brought out when our humanity calls out.
 On Social Values &
the Environment
Del Rosario, Ma. Eddel Francesca

Our social values dictate what we believe is good and bad. It tells us how we should relate to people, and
determines how we relate to the environment. For the Filipinos, our values were formed throughout the
years, influenced by our pre-colonial values and shaped by the different colonizers that have ruled over us.
These values are sometimes conflicting, due to its history, but these values are our own and it is what can
help us care for the environment.
With the status of our country, suffering from poverty and chaos, many people immediately have
some things to blame. Some would blame a corrupt government. Others would rat about our crab and
colonial mentality. Perhaps, its just that the Filipinos are tired of feeling like having little power over what
is happening. But I think they are just forgetting or getting out of touch with the purest of the Filipino
values.

Filipinos have values of pakikipagkapwatao, family, joy, humour, flexibility, faith, hard work and
industry, and out unceasing ability to survive. All of these are ingrained not just into our minds, but into our
hearts. We see everyone as a kapwa that we need to help. We do brave and good things for the survival and
happiness of our family. We try to live in joy and thee the silver linings of dark clouds. We are flexible and
industrious enough to survive through different situations. Possibly all because we have faith in the Lord
that He always has a plan/

Our history forged these values into us and allowed us to survive through many of those that have
come in power. Aside from that, it also bring us the most beautiful Filipino words. Of these, the most
beautiful might be the words kalooban and kamalayan. These are those that represent what is inside our
hearts. If our kalooban is full of pain and anger, it will show outside in our behaviors. At the same time, a
person with kamalayan or consiousness will think more of his or her behaviors and be mindful of the
surroundings or the environment.

When it comes to environmental advocacy and awareness in the Filipinos, it is this values that we
need to tap into. Being pessimisstic and throwing around derogatory words or blames wont get us
anywhere. Instead, we can inspire our fellow Filipinos by reminding them the good values that we can be
living by. Change their kalooban for them to change their views on Mother Earth and change their lifestyle
from being exploitation-oriented into a stewardship-oriented one. As they say, what happens to the world
happens first to the mind of man.
 On Religion & the Environment
Del Rosario, Ma. Eddel Francesca

Roman Catholic is my religion and I grew up studying in a Catholic school. During those years
from 2000 to 2010, we did not tackle the environment. The most I can remember is a few lessons on
greenhouse gases and CFCs, global warming, deforestation, kaingin and landslides. But perhaps, during
those days, the issue on the environment was still unripe and unfelt by many Filipinos. Social issues like
corruption and poverty were a bigger problem (although its still a big problem now). The issue on
overpopulation was tackled as an issue against abortion instead of an issue regarding the environment.
While it is true that abortion is an issue worth taking, or that corruption and poverty are serious problems,
the discourses on these topics were lacking or incomplete. During these days, we still havent seen clearly
our world as a system, interconnected and interdependent, with the environment in the equation and a facet
worth noting in these important social issues.
My eyes were opened to the grave environmental issues when I stepped foot into college, especially
since the degree I enrolled in was Human Ecology. We were taught about humans relation with the
environment. I had lectures on demography, ecology, social development, ecology, perspectives in
development, human settlements, planning theory, etc. With the dominant secular view of most people and
my pessimistic disposition, I viewed religion as irrelevant to the environmental discourse. Seeing people,
particularly Filipinos and Westerners, who claim to be religious yet yet live unvirtuously made me lose
hope in seeing religion as a hopeful component of the environmental discourse.
For many years, I saw the environment mainly as a scientific issue, whether through the lenses of
the natural science or the social science. I believed that people would be more convinced about the value of
the environment if they were given workshops, capacity-building programs, and lectures like I experienced.
Whenever I got a glimpse of environmental materials made with a religious perspective, particularly a
Catholic perspective, I often felt a feeling of pessimism thinking that they are investing a lost cause as
many Filipinos do not seem to follow the values of the Lord. I had more faith in people who claim to be
non-religious but believe in doing the right thing. That was until I got back into touch with the essence of
religion.
I was reminded that religion and faith, especially in their purest form minus the human-initiated
anomalies, can offer a person peace and life meaning. It is an integral part of society, and helps a large
group of people identify with each other using a common set of values. Religion is not just the Filipinos
and the Roman Catholic religion. It is the many religions of the world, and even within the Philippines.
Dismissing the concept of religion, just based on local circumstances, would be a great disrespect to the
different cultures of a great number of societies.
My favorite country, the Kingdom of Bhutan, is an example of a country in which the values of
religion are deeply ingrained to the people and is apparent in the state of their environment. In Bhutan,
peoples religious views on the environment has provided them with deep feelings of respect towards their
natural resources.
Other religions, aside from those aligned with Judeo-Christian tradition, like Animistic religions or
Indian religions were also fascinating in each of their own. The animists, previously shunned as demonic,
pagan, and largely distorted, has earned a special place in my heart ever since I understood the Filipino pre-
colonized societies from Philippine History. The Indian religions, like Buddhism with their belief in
reincarnation and life in every creature, is a very impressive belief. If everyone lived with a belief that all
life is precious, I wonder if we would have adopted exploitative and materialistic lifestyles.
Perhaps, in the Philippines, people can get back to their religious virtues and see the environment
through its lens. Perhaps they can see that many of us, regardless of religion, are straying from the common
religious view (with variations of reasoning): that the natural environment is sacred.
All in all, Religion is a good thing, connecting us to the higher authorities that give our life
meaning and peace, perhaps its just the people who are not in touch with their virtuous selves. It can help
us let go of our anthropocentric views and adopt more ethical lifestyles. For people like me and many
others succumbing to the pessimism from the state of the world, it can help ease our minds and make us
more open to the many positive efforts we can do to avoid our worst fears from happening. Living a life
devoid of meaning and spirituality can also lead us to not having any values for the environment.
 On the Global Catholic
Climate Movement:
Del Rosario, Ma. Eddel Francesca

The fight against climate change really just started these past few years. Even as the
environmental movement against it can be traced back to older roots, the many different movements
started have only gained momentum now as the effects become more intensified and difficult to deny.
Among the movements started is the Global Catholic Climate Movement (GCCM). This
movement spans many different countries and people from all walks of life who are bound by their
faith and their fight for climate justice. For me, what was most interesting is how the movement came
to be. It did not particularly start from the action of the majority, but the fervor of the very few
Catholics who knew about climate change and wanted to spread the word to their brothers and sisters.
As noted by Fr. Sean McDonagh, the Catholic Church strong against social issues but weak against
environmental issues. These people had the voices to make sure that at present, we see this great
religious church rally up against such a monumental issue.
Sometimes I wonder how we have strayed away from God's light. Through the years we have
lost great regard against our neighbor and creation. Was it because of misinterpretation of the gospel
and values? Were meanings twisted in favor of whatever people want to believe in? Some people guise
excessive or unnecessary luxury as a "blessing" from God. This in itself is contradictory of the old
teaching to live simply. It is also supportive of consumerism, counter to our mandate to protect
creation. Perhaps this movement can enlighten people that creation is one of the greatest blessings
God gave us, not the material things, and that we have a task to spread the blessings around, not just to
our neighbors, but our non-human siblings in nature.
The GCCM is a good way to bring people together. with this, This movement targeting 1.2 out
of 7 billion people who are Catholics. Even better, they are sharing their voice to non-Catholics. It is a
show of real solidarity. If people won't be moved by economic or scientific justifications to go against
climate change, then perhaps they will be moved by talks of love for each other and a sense abiding
with the will of God.
Collective action has achieved a lot through the history of man. Many great revolutions have
changed the world for the better. As said in Ecclesiastes 4:9, Two are better than one, because they
have a good return for their labor: A fire will spread better the bigger it gets. so fight for what you
believe in alongside others who share the same noble cause as you, With the release of Pope Francis'
encyclical letter, the Laudato Si, the GCCM's mandate to bring people together is strengthened. With
great perseverance and faith in God, this movement is vital in reaching out to the hearts of many
people to tell them that the time to act is now.
 A Pledge for
MOTHER EARTH

I am Ma. Eddel Francesca Del Rosario.

I love my country and I love the Earth, and
I pledge to be of service to our common home.
I will avoid using plastic, and items that will
be residual wastes. Instead, I will strive to be a
minimal consumer, buying only what is needed,
what will last longer, what is organic and sustainable.
I promise to support local products that have lower
carbon footprints, buy even the imperfect vegetables.
I will strive to eat everything on my plate and fight against
food waste. I will recycle, upcycle, and repair everything I can to
prolong the lifespan of materials. I will dedicate my career to work that
will help achieve the sustainable development goals, and all future
aspirations of the world for a living and healthy planet.
I promise to do my best in believing in myself, and in
other people, that we can all help save the Earth. I wont
give up on sharing with others ways to live an
environmentally-friendly lifestyle.

For the Earth is our planet, and I pledge to

work with everyone to protect our
one and only home.
 On Senator Legarda: Malasakit
Del Rosario, Ma. Eddel Francesca

Sustainable development has three pillars: the economic, environmental, and social pillars.
Striking the right balance of the three makes development not just equitable, viable, or bearable, but
wholly sustainable. It was in the news, although taking a husher tone, that NEDA recently approved
the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) for 2017-2022. As they grounded its development thrusts
on Malasakit, Pagbabago, and Patuloy na Pag-unlad, Senator Loren Legarda spoke a few words of
praise for their anchorage in malasakit, and the importance of Filipino culture and values.
Perhaps for many years, we have given more attention to the economics of development that
we left behind considerations for the environment and culture. In the present situation of the
Philippines, I can see our social fabric under siege by chaos and partisan issues. In the past, Filipinos
collectively cried foul over poverty and corruption. But now, people are fighting against each other as
they label the opposition Dutertards or Dilawan, always finding ways to place blame and discredit
each other. Because of income inequality, there is an increasing tension between the rich and the poor,
as poverty-stricken Filipinos become more restless and oppressed and well-off Filipinos air their ires
against the lack of education, culture, and violence of the poor. It seems that tensions rise from the
social and economic diversity dividing people, but the senator might be right that it is the lack of
malasakit and respect for diversity that is actually dividing us.
Senator Legarda took note of our young population and the role of culture in nurturing them so
they can be instruments for constructive change. They will grow up to be the part of the working
group, so their education and enculturation are very important. The brightest minds and the strongest
workforce is no use without values to guide them to the right direction of growth. It is only with our
purest hearts that we develop and work for the best aspirations for the country.
A malasakit for our fellow Filipinos is good for everyone. The rich may understand the
struggles of the poor, the poor may rekindle thee hope that they will find ginhawa hand in hand and
with trust the government, the majority may undestand the importance of indigenous culture, and
everyone may understand the interconnectedness and interdependence between us. But what does this
spell for the environment?
A stronger community of united Filipinos will be able to focus on making the world a better
place for everyone instead of making it better for themselves only. It sounds cliche, but it is true.
Perhaps when everyone wants a common goal and a good environment for all, abusers can control
themselves against their private interests in the name of what their kapwa-tao think. Societys culture
has that power to make unspoken laws. Many experts lament how poorly implemented our well-
written environmental laws are. Perhaps it is a healthy culture with the value of malasakit that can
help with its implementation and the recovery of our prostituted environment. Perhaps after having
malasakit for their kapwa Pilipino, Filipinos will have genuine malasakit for nature.
Let us not forget the role of culture and society in the development of our country. For what is
all our riches and money if we are not happy, united, with a firm identity, and a healthy environment
live in?
Environmental
Values
Del Rosario, Ma. Eddel Francesca
BS Environmental Science
June 2016