Social Responsibility

I wanted to write about my social conscience.... I didn't know I have one, eh? LOL

Everyone has a social conscience actually, its just that for other people it is more pronounced and they are more dedicated towards the realization of their social responsibilities. Somehow for me, I think I am merely assuaging mine.

I've never been so fired up about anything, ideological or otherwise. Even when I was in college, I think I joined up student rallies at Mendiola just to see how it is and if the police fire water canons at us the better (coz my friends told me the water smell is so stinky! I want to check for myself! LOL). It has nothing to do with my convictions that the "resources of the country is being sold to the Imperialist West".

When I went home last month, our whole district of Carcarnmadcarlan is alive with pro and anti supporters of a mining company who wants to set up within the watershed area near our town. The Carcanmadcarlan district is composed of 5 towns, it starts with Carrascal, Cantilan, Madrid, Carmen, and Lanuza. The usual ingredients of corruption made it more palatable and more dramatic for everyone.

In our house, it was fun. My mom is anti-mining, my dad is by principle "not against mining, but it has to be sustainable mining", and my younger brothers are just plain having fun making my mom angry --- they are 100% PRO! Hahaha... My mom's anger is understandable. She is a "farmer", and all her ricelands in Cantilan and Madrid will be directly affected by the mining company, even her land in Consuelo might be used to transport the ores to the jetty (actually nagfeeling-feelingan lang sya! Hehehe).

Me? I don't want to comment yet not until I know the whole story. So my cousin invited me to join him to the Public Hearing held at Brgy. Cabangahan (about 45minutes from the town of Cantilan), where the mining will be centrally located. It was my first time to go there. I cannot believe my hometown has awesome views like these!!!

We should do some "Carac-an River cruises" here.... hehehe.... I've tried water rafting in this river before although only in the eastern side and not from this distance.

The more I heard from the experts (I listened to them kasi they are from my old hang-out, NIGS -- National Institute of Geological Sciences sa Peyups) the more I realized the locals are so dehado coz they make it sound like we should be thankful for this blessing -- that is how brilliant they were. But then it had a different impact on me. I became more and more against the whole thing. I realized the repercussions, the river poisonings, the landslides that will eventually happen, the destruction of the "awesome" views that I just passed by.

I voiced this over to my cousin, B.Y., who coincidentally is the mining company's legal counsel! Hehehe...and the plot thickens even more...LOL

In a sense I felt good about the townsfolk's response to the proposed mining operation. I am so proud of how matured their social conscience is, how they collectively responded to the call for civilian mobilization. Its amazing how knowledgeable they are now about the negative impacts of such operations in our environment. I am not totally against mining, I have a similar stand like my father's. However, what I totally abhor is when the operation is right smack into nearby residential towns and with the farmers the ultimate victims of this entire enterprise. Why couldn't they put it in the middle of nowhere??? The answer is, the highest grade of Nickel they will get from here.

I wanted to stay on so I can attend the bigger rally they are preparing at the end of last month. But I have total confidence on my townmates. I know they'll win!