"We are not here on Earth to be alone, but to be a
part of a living community, a web of life in which all is sacred. Like the
cells of our body, all of life is in constant communication, as science is just
beginning to understand. No bird sings in isolation, no bud breaks open alone.
And the most central note that is present in life is its sacred nature,
something we need to each rediscover and honor anew. We need to learn once
again how to walk and breathe in a sacred universe, to feel this heartbeat of life.
Hearing its presence speaks to us, we feel this great bond of life that
supports and nourishes us all. Today's world may still at times make us feel
lonely, but we can then remember what every animal, every insect, every plant
knows -- and only we have forgotten: the living sacred whole."
—Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee
The winding road that Joe, our
driver, followed after exiting the main highway was narrow and winding. Typical wooden structures intermittently
appeared as we drove past part paved and rugged paths. Finally, Beth Galas, the community organizer
said, “We are here!” Finally, we arrived
in Barangay Calawis in Antipolo. This area of Antipolo is largely part of the
Marikina Upper Watershed Protected Landscape where the forests and mountains
have been deforested badly causing flash floods in the lower areas during
typhoon and rainy seasons draining itself to Marikina River. I followed climbing a carved hardened mud
stairs to the top. My mind was wandering
just how slimy these mud stairs during rainy days. At the top of the stairs, a
covered vegetable nursery is bursting with greens. Light shades of green lettuce sparkling under
the sun dancing like jagged jades. The
meeting hall was still empty. Virgie,
the leader of the group arrived and opened the locked nursery, showing me their
community vegetable garden. One by one,
the women, some with their children came and sat inside the hall, made of
bamboos. I was told; some of them had to
walk for 4 hours to get there. This
group is composed of Dumagats-Remontado tribes, and migrants to the area. I suggested that while waiting for others to
arrive, I can go see the seedling nursery.
It was not very far from the meeting area. I was so impressed to see how lush and green the
seedlings that are planted in black
polybags, some are about two feet high and ready for planting in June/August,
when rain comes. There were different
kinds of Philippine native tree seedlings, neatly organized in rows. The
nursery is filled with wonderful energy, these little plants bursting forth and
shining fresh green shoots. The seedlings
totaling more than 100,000 were left over from the 200,000 seedlings planted
last year.
“I used to cut the forests to make
charcoal, now I plant trees and realized my responsibility to care for the
forest which gives us life.”-TSKC
member
My three companions started
sharing their stories…how their lives were changed because of Maryknoll Sisters
helping them by providing funding to buy the polybags. They were able to purchase 200,000 bags,
which they all used for planting the seedlings.
Last year’s planting of 100,000 seedlings have given many of their
members much needed income to sustain their families. The project did not only
benefit the household, but helped their organization opened a rice cooperative,
helping members secure rice loans and paid it back, reducing hunger incidence. The farmers and forest dwellers stopped
cutting down the trees for charcoal making as their only means of livelihood. One of the women said, she and her husband
finally got married in the Church because they had money the license and could
invite friends to the wedding. One of
the elders was very proud that his daughter was able to graduate in college and
is now teaching in the local school. What
was also exciting to hear is the return of the biodiversity in the area. Fireflies, wild lizards, wild chicken and
pigs, frogs, and many more, have come back and numbers have been seen more
often. Listening to their stories made me cry, because it gave me so much hope
how the environment can be helped regenerate itself.
We were back in the meeting
hall and the people also shared their little victories, how the project brought
positive effects to their lives. The
continuation of the project, have made it possible for the young mothers to
stay in their homes to start seedlings for sale to the government reforestation
program. This means they also now have a
regular livelihood that heal the forests and care for the environment.
When asked what kind of help they would still
need, they said: planting tools such as
planting spades, shovels, mattocks, grass cutters, etc. They need to make fire
lines to protect the young trees from forest fires and monitor their
growth. They also need boots for
protection from snakes. They also
appealed if they can be helped to give their children school supplies for the
coming schoolyear in June and some basic medicines for fever and pain. The women asked if they could be helped to
plant cash crops such as turmeric and post-harvest processing and marketing. This way, they said, they can continue to
support their husbands while staying with their younger children. Children are left with relatives while they
plant the seedlings on the planting site.
The Calawis group now has 95 members, majority are women, numbering 54.
