Message of Deputy Speaker Loren Legarda World Environment Day June 5, 2021

The health of our planet is fast declining.

Massive destruction in our ecosystems has led to the collapse of our biodiversity and our flora and fauna species. The wanton conversion of our lands has curtailed our ability to secure food and water and to adapt to extreme weather events. Our obsession with plastics has choked the life in our oceans and has posed risks to public health and safety. And our dependence on fossil fuels has continually warmed our planet, giving rise to catastrophic climate events.

This World Environment Day, I join the call to “Reimagine. Recreate. Restore.” in order to prevent rapid degradation of our ecosystems and to restore our Earth back to its pristine state.

As we continue to be blanketed by this crippling pandemic, we are reminded of how our unsustainable practices and reckless behavior have led to this dire and worrying situation.

But there is still time—although quite little—for all of us to take decisive action to restore the balance before it is too late for humanity and our planet.

We can do this through nature-based solutions that are not intrusive to our environment and that would rehabilitate and fortify our ecosystems, natural habitats, and resources, while enabling them build our natural defenses against climate and disaster risks.

On the policy front, while many of our country’s laws are already oriented towards sustainability and circular economy, we need stricter implementation of these laws and all of our people’s cooperation to carry out their objectives. In our households, we can already contribute by properly segregating our waste, growing the herbs and vegetables we usually eat, and learning how we can lead a more sustainable lifestyle.

Let our desire to make this world a better place to live in urge us to be more responsible stewards of our natural resources and protector of the environment. Let us inspire and remain committed to a planet that is healthy, livable, and sustainable for us and our future generations.

We may not bring back what we have lost, but as nature teaches us, there is always the chance to start again, to become better, and be much more resilient than before.

Thank you very much. A happy and meaningful World Environment Day to us all!