The Ilocos Times

Is this what our future is going to look like? With climate change accelerating, sea levels rising, and floods becoming the “new normal,” I think we should at least entertain the possibility. And if that future does come, it won’t be entirely unfamiliar. After all, floating gardens and houses on stilts already exist—not only in faraway places, but right here in the Philippines. In many ways, these designs are not futuristic at all; they are ancient, time-tested responses to living with water rather than against it. The Bajau Laut in the Sulu Archipelago have lived in stilt houses above coral-rich shallows for centuries. In Bangladesh, floating gardens—known as dhap—keep food production going even during months of flooding. In Myanmar’s Inle Lake, floating tomato farms stretch across the horizon. And in Mexico, the Aztec chinampas remain as living proof that agriculture can thrive on water. So, if others have done it, why can’t we? But here’s the bigger question: Should we ch...

  The local government unit of Nueva Era headed by Mayor Aldrin Garvida and Vice Mayor Caroline A. Garvida commemorated the 128 th Philippine Independence Day with a series of meaningful activities, highlighted by a community-wide clean-up drive along the Ilocos Norte-– Abra Road. The activities were also participated in by the Sangguniang Bayan members, municipal government employees, punong barangays, non-government organizations, and representatives from national government agencies. (Doms dela Cruz)

  Recycling is increasingly becoming a viable means of livelihood in the Philippines—especially through community-driven initiatives, social enterprises and LGU-supported programs. It offers income opportunities while promoting environmental stewardship and circular-economy principles. Here’s the basic change we need to accept: anything that has commercial value is not garbage. If something can be sold, reused or turned into income, it stops being wasted. In that sense, recyclables have value—therefore they are not garbage. We have already tried our best to promote recycling in the Philippines, yet the level of compliance remains low. Many Filipinos still ask: “What’s in it for me (pakinabang) if I recycle?” Telling someone that recycling is good for the environment no longer suffices. But what if we shift the narrative: “It’s good for your pocket.” What if recycling becomes directly linked to income every time you participate? That is precisely my idea: create livelihood ...

Are we missing something obvious here? For years now, the Philippines has been one of the world’s leading producers of seaweeds . But what have we done with this advantage? We’ve confined ourselves largely to food ingredients— carrageenan for ice cream and jellies , thickeners for toothpaste and cosmetics, and additives for processed goods. Nothing wrong with that. But have we considered that seaweeds could also fuel our future? India has. In fact, Indian innovators have already taken the lead in producing biofuels from seaweeds. A company called Sea6 Energy , founded in 2010 by young engineers from IIT Madras , is pioneering technologies to grow seaweeds in deep waters and convert them into “ biocrude ” using a process called hydrothermal liquefaction . This is essentially a fast-track version of what nature does to turn organic matter into fossil fuels, but instead of millions of years, it happens in minutes. Here’s the point: if India—with only 11,099 kilometers of coastlin...

Believe it or not, the Philippines is the only country in the ASEAN that has not yet set a formal carbon neutrality or net-zero target. Yes, you heard that right. Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and even Indonesia have set their own timelines. Only the Philippines stands out for its absence. What happened to us? And why has this happened? Who has been negligent? Is it the Congress? Is it the Executive Branch? Or perhaps the DOE and the Climate Change Commission? Has our mass media also overlooked this? And what about social media, with its legions of bloggers and influencers—have they been silent too? Could it be that even civil society has also overlooked this crucial matter? The absence of a net-zero goal is not a minor oversight. It reflects something deeper—that the urgency of climate action has not yet fully entered our collective consciousness. This is very important to us now, and even more so for our children in the future. Let’s ...

Houston , we have a problem. No—on second thought—it’s not just a problem. It’s a dilemma. Actually, let’s not kid ourselves. It’s both. So, what is it? We’re producing so much used cooking oil that if we’re not careful, it could be clogging our drainage systems—assuming, of course, that we have proper drainage systems in the first place. If we don’t, then it’s clogging whatever passes for a drainage system in many of our cities. The logical thing to do would be to collect this oil and recycle it. But here’s where the “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” part kicks in. If you do collect it, you could be accused of transporting hazardous waste and fined. If you don’t, you risk pouring it into our waterways, blocking pipes, causing floods, and polluting aquifers. Why? Because under Republic Act 6969—the Toxic Substances and Hazardous and Nuclear Wastes Control Act—used cooking oil can be classified as hazardous waste. That means it’s subject to strict rules on collection, st...

The  Philippine Coconut Authority, in cooperation with the city government of Laoag, headed by Laoag Mayor James Bryan Alcid, plant 600 coconut seedlings in Barangay Navotas-B in this city. (Doms dela Cruz)

We already know that coal-fired power plants continue to operate across the country. What we don’t always know is how we are disposing of the toxic byproducts they produce—especially coal ash . Coal ash, which includes both fly ash and bottom ash , is a waste product from burning coal. It contains heavy metals like arsenic , mercury , and lead —substances we do not want to leak into our air, soil, or water. Yes, of course, there are laws regulating the disposal of coal ash. We have a comprehensive legal framework: RA 6969 controls hazardous waste RA 8749 (Clean Air Act) regulates emissions and ash pollution RA 9003 governs solid waste DENR AO 2004-36 lays out how hazardous waste should be handled And even the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) touches on coal ash contracts That’s impressive on paper. But here’s the real question: How do we know how much of these laws are being implemented? There are agencies that are supposed to do the job—the DENR, its E...