Of forests, gardens, and green spaces

By Joshua Corcuera 

In a July 6 column, I wrote about the record-high temperatures tallied around the world. From Canada to India, from Siberia to Iraq, extreme heat led to hundreds dying and thousands suffering.

Let me reiterate a particular portion of that column I contributed several days ago:

Despite the excruciating heat that caused suffering to millions and claimed hundreds of lives, there are no signs that such catastrophe will end. As a matter of fact, scientists claim that this could happen until the end of the century. Even though temperatures here in Manila are starting to cool a little bit thanks to the end of the dry season, it cannot be denied that unusual hot temperatures are common anywhere else.  

These recent snapshots of a warming world is [sic] just a free taste of what the future may look like if we do not change our habits for the better. As a maxim in Filipino says, patikim pa lang ‘yan.

I went on to suggest possible solutions to protect ourselves from life-threatening temperatures. In the long-term, however, more things need to be done. From here, it seems appropriate to discuss forests, gardens, and green spaces briefly.

In the contemporary world, forests are now getting endangered as deforestation spreads far and wide. In a 2007 article by the Field Museum, deforestation has greatly impacted the Philippines. As a matter of fact, it said that: “few countries in the world were originally more thoroughly covered by rain forest than the Philippines.” At least 95% of the country was covered by rain forest a few centuries ago. Today, however, the remaining habitat stands at around 7%, though numbers differ on various studies.

Aside from the threats faced by forests in the country, the lack of green spaces in urban areas is also clear and obvious. Here in Metro Manila, I can merely enumerate three green spaces: (1) Rizal Park, (2) La Mesa Ecopark, (3) Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Center.

Upon researching, there are a few additional green spaces that I am a little bit familiar with such as the Arroceros Forest Park and Mehan Garden. It is also safe to add that the University of the Philippines – Diliman (UPD) had an enormous green space which has been well-conserved. In the few times I went to UPD, it was also remarkably clean as compared to most other places in the capital. This should not come as a surprise since the tens of thousands of students there are among the country’s most intelligent and most educated and, thus, are highly expected to be protective of the environment.

However, according to a 2019 news report citing the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), only 12% of green space remains in the Philippine capital region. It is apparent that green spaces are lacking — at least here in Metro Manila.

Forests, gardens, and green spaces are things we must increase if we want to prevent global warming from accelerating further. Moreover, these shades of green can also provide a slightly cooler environment that can help us feel a little bit comfortable when the afternoon sun gives us discomfort.