Going Green

What do Natalie Portman, Leonardo DiCaprio and Shangrila Mactan Resort have in common? Not only are they the embodiment of beauty, but there’s definitely more to these recognizable names than meets the eye.

If you are one of the 15 million Filipinos who took the time to switch your lights off last March 28, 2009 from 8 to 9 pm for the Earth Hour, then you would know that there are already several known personalities and celebrities who had become avid spokespersons on green revolution.

Nope, this is not the same as the one coined in the 80’s where people were asked to plant trees, vegetables and fruits. Still a worthy cause back then, but in the present time, the green movement as it is also coined, has taken on a new and much more encompassing coverage.

Several public and private personalities have gone beyond their comfort zone to promote the environment. The pressing and looming concern on global warming brought about by the depletion of natural resources at unprecedented rate, and with all of us feeling the direct effect cannot deny the impending threat to our very own survival. Surely something ought to be done.

The 11th Hour Trailer

Without sounding mellow dramatic, it takes little to realize, that the extreme temperatures we now experience is really out of the usual.

While the heat has not scorched us to oblivion yet, there are those in several miles across the worlds that are directly affected, currently fighting for their very own lives. Mother Nature, normally nurturing and caring, is a force to reckon with when we place ourselves on its worst side.

Last December, for the first time in history, people in Manila experienced extreme cold while for the other parts of the Philippines, summer had arrived much sooner than expected. Our weather bureau, PAG-ASA, whose forecast, I sometimes likened to the predictions of Madame Auring (pun intended here), is in a much more difficult situation now with the weather going haywire. If you must leave the house, I must say that umbrellas are the most versatile of tools you can bring… it works pretty well whether it rains or shines.

For the common tao, one can ask, “what can I do to address the issue of global warming, I am just one person?” Well, the answer is, each and everyone is enjoined to help, doing his or her own share one person at a time.

Spelled out in a more practical terms, I have a few practical tips you can do…

1.)Switch off lights and other electrical equipments when not in use.

Unused electrical appliances continue to take in energy and electrical load when left plugged in. Add up several households that are unmindful of this practice and we are talking about a serious carbon foot print.

Carbon Footprint is the amount of generated carbon emissions, which contribute to accelerating global warming and climate change. This is an indication of the effect one has on the climate in terms of the total amount of greenhouse gases produced as measured in units of carbon dioxide.

What’s more, the natural gas, still the main source of electricity, comes from a fast declining resource buried deep down from the earth’s crust, the key word—fossil fuel.

To make matters worse, our electrical appliances when in use, emits free radicals believed to be harmful to the human body. This is one of the cited sources of premature ageing and skin cancer. No wonder my dermatologist advised me to use sun blocks with UVA and UVB coverage even when staying indoors.

2.)Close the faucets when brushing teeth, shaving or when not in use

We all have the illusion that water is an infinite resource. Well, you are wrong!

If you have lived or had a chance to visit the Middle East, you will know that water is a precious commodity. People are dying because of water, either by lack of it or for an effort to take control of it.

With more than two-thirds of the human body composed of water, we might as well be called water creatures! No water means serious trouble for us all.

We will survive without precious gold or the black gold---oil, but we will certainly not survive without water. It is the vital key to our survival, and yet, we indiscriminately destroy the very source of water. Wastes chemicals are irresponsibly dumped in rivers or seas with poisons finding its way into our water system.

3.)Recycle

In the office, we strive to have paperless transactions, or if we do use papers, we make sure that it is well used up, front and back.

According to the product insert of the organic tea we are currently brewing, one ton of paper takes 2 or 3 times its weight in trees. Now if only trees could talk. No wonder the Ents in Lord of the Rings are mad.

At home, we do save used bottles and plastic containers and give it a second life as dispensers of products we buy in big volume. Even egg shells are used as mulch or natural fertilizer to our plants.

Back in the office, we have launched a new jewelry line called ECO CHIC, making use of the usual trash and converting them to treasures. You have to see our latest accessories made of newspaper beads or the cool colorful pendants from the cuttings of our lowly brooms, among others. The ingenuity and pure talent of our design team never fails to amaze me. I am just very, very proud of them!


We also highly recommend the use of fabric bags when shopping at the supermarket instead of using non-biodegradable plastic bags. I commend SM & Rustans Supermarket for coming up with their reusable shopping bags. My husband so used to the habit that we could never leave home doing grocery shopping without those cool bags.

4.)Be conscientious in our every choice.

It takes 30 days to form a habit. When asked to buy or use something, it is worthwhile to ask one self, “Is there a better, more economical, more responsible way other than this?”

During the Earth Hour countdown at Shangrila Mactan Cebu, those present were asked to write their pledges to support the environment on a used compact disc. As a symbolic gesture, we were asked to hang our disks on a pine tree situated right by the stage. Though the tree looked impoverished lacking the usual lights and glitters, I am reminded of Christmas in a noble and practical way. Now if only every one keeps the promises they made that evening.

Having represented our company, I wrote that we will continue with our GO GREEN initiative. That is, for our local brand ARTIZANS; we will plant one tree for every product sold. With or without recognitions or accolades, we knew this was one of the best decisions we ever made in our company.

In my personal capacity, I wrote, “I promise to use only earth-friendly, organic, biodegradable self-care products for my personal and family use”.

This is actually not just by choice but also by necessity as belonging to a generation of asthmatics, we are all very allergic to several synthetic chemicals. For many years now, using organic products is the only way for us. I will discuss more of this in my next article.

5.)Get informed and be a part of a bigger organization that promotes green living.

To get a healthy gym habit, you are always advised to get a gym buddy. Your gym partner is there to help encourage and motivate you.

This is pretty much the same with any new activity you delve into.

A green buddy as I call it, and I don’t mean Shrek here, should be there to share the latest knowledge and information on green living with you. He or she must encourage you when the going gets rough and tough, probably even to the extent of being able to share, trade or barter some the things he or she has. Now that truly is economical!

6.)Participate in activities that promote Green initiatives.

I am not much of a party-goer anymore. I actually have a body clock that goes off at the strike of 10 in the evening---my exact time to hit the sack when most pubs are just starting to open. I now prefer to spend my evenings with my boys at home doing our nightly rituals, reading books, making up stories, singing. I am now resigned, very well settled to my blissful state of motherhood come evening.

Yet, for the Earth hour, I realized I do need to be one with friends, old and new, who shares the same belief as I. It is good to be affirmed and to know that indeed I am making the right decision. Going green is a commitment and something we should all do, not just for show.

And so at that night, the home buddy that I am, I found myself standing arm in arm with a gorgeous, hunky, very organic date (my husband) in a plush Shangrila Mactan Resort, made even more magical during the lights off with the stars solely illuminating the sky.

If you have missed this momentous event, and you are feeling a slight pinch of guilt due to your indifference, do not despair as Mr. Raymund Bragg, the General Manager of Shangrila Mactan Resort promised that this is going to be a yearly event.

Going green should not be a passing fad but must be the way of life. It is not the other way, but the ONLY way, if we are to ensure the survival of our children and that of our children’s children.

Our fight against issues and factors that affects our environment is real and we ought to dig deep into the good in every one of us and work together for this common cause. As Mr Leonardo Di Caprio said in his video, “Man’s darkest moment is yet to be our finest hour”.

GOOD FRIDAY….its good!

Last holy week, Good Friday to be specific, my husband--Jeff and I did the unthinkable. With a few minutes to prepare and no idea where to head off, we packed our bags and with 2 children aged 5 and 7 in tow, dashed out of our house for an unprecedented, totally unplanned for getaway.

Normally, my vacations revolves around a well-planned schedules plotted months ahead. This compose of mini inventory of my vacation stash and several trips to the malls to make sure my “survival kit” can withstand all major foreseeable disasters, with tsunamis not totally out of the picture. And my husband, he is an epitome of inspector gadget; you can be assured that he always has an extra of something.

I boast of being an extensive planner too, in fact, good enough that I am a member of our production planning team in our office. It was indeed very uncharacteristic of me, so totally against my grain to head to somewhere without so much of a hotel reservation.

Anyway, my husband assured me that it’s going to be fun. So with a long, heartfelt prayer and a 50 watt smile, I gamely gave in to the call of nature unpredictable as we head off south.

Our first stop was a hidden mountain resort whose signage we spotted right by the roadside. It said, 6 kilometers from main road and the picture showed a promising nature adventure, comfortable accommodations and several spring watered pools, we were ready to be surprised! Well, 6 kilometers to our estimate should not be more than a 30-minute drive. In reality, it felt like forever to get there. My youngest Karlo kept saying, ”I think we are lost, we should have a GPS (referring to Global Positioning Satellite)”. I think he had too much of Little Einstein show.

Good that it didn’t rain days before as I could very well see the deep mud tracks that has now hardened and has become deep potholes and humps to contend with. And the surprise, well, we were surprised indeed but not in a good way. Some of the pools look very green, my eldest son Khalil smugly coined it a “toad pond”… he couldn’t be more right!

My spirit was slightly dampened as we head back to highway, but still buoyant, looking forward to the adventure which we don’t really know what yet.

Next stop was a roadside eatery near San Fernando. It was actually a pleasant find as we didn’t expect small outlets to be open on a Good Friday, surprise still to see that they offered pork adobo in their menu, not your usual fare during Lenten season. We packed our own lunch so we only need to buy a few supplements to justify our use of their tables and chairs. The kids ate a hearty lunch and even had a chance to play in the swing nearby… indeed a good way to stretch after a long journey.

At about 1 pm, we traveled onwards still unsure of what the day had in store for us. We marveled at how each town has changed over the years. It must have been more than 10 years the last time we passed by these towns. The former landmarks I still keep in my memory were no longer there. Indeed commercialism has crept in into major town centers with Goldilocks signages now vying for better view over Dunkin Donuts’.

Another stop was the Molave Milk Station for a quick soft ice cream fix, very timely with the sun getting more and more intense. Much to my surprise, the property is owned by the Unchuan’s. So this was the place my friend Marissa (Unchuan) of White Sands Beach Resort was inviting us for several times a few years ago. We have to turn her down since the boys were still very young and their asthma was quite hard to manage back then. The property was very well kept and I saw several dairy cows.

I imagine myself being transported to the typical picturesque New Zealand; I was prepared to see milk maids strutting by. Unfortunately, aside from the small strip allotted for the milk station, the farm is not open to public unless of course you know people in high places like the mistress of the house herself. The family wasn’t around at that time though and with the sun setting, we knew we have to find our hotel soon. We were back on the road in 10 minutes tops.

We then head straight to Club Serena Resort (www.clubserenaresort.com) in Moalboal, working on a lead given by a very picky friend who swears that the place is really nice. Prior to actually reaching the place, we had a few quick stops on various forgettable resorts. I was getting worried, but well, what the heck; I assured myself that these were all part of the adventure.

Club Serena Resort was totally divine specially having eyed several resorts that don’t really come close to it by a mile. We were greeted by the manager on duty which everybody calls Haze, he speaks good English and was very accommodating and knowledgeable of their services and facilities. We had a quick tour of the place, quaint with just 8 single-detached accommodations, a nice swimming pool just right for my boys and a small beach front offering a short walk to reach the crystal clear waters. The manager asked if my husband dives, of which he replied no and pointed to me instead. Well, I had a few scuba escapades in my past life but not anymore. But yes, Moalboal holds a special place in my heart as this is where I had my first dive in Pescador Island holding hands the whole time with my Padi instructor.

My boys had their gelato and pasta carbonara for merienda while Jeff and I had our ginseng coffee and beef empanada with mozzarella cheese. Absolutely wonderful and I very much liked the place that my heart sank several degrees when we were told that they are fully booked. The manager was kind enough to refer us to another resort though and even did the calling and arrangements, service par excellence indeed!

Upon checking the place we were referred to though, Jeff didn’t like it at all and instead, we decided to head off to another strip of resorts nearby. At this time, it was about 4 pm already. The sun was almost setting but we were determined to find a comparable resort to Club Serena. We would probably have been ready to settle for much less except that now, we have a standard to compare all the other nearby resorts with. I was ready to go second rate on several things but not at the expense and comfort of my boys.

If not for the kids, we would probably have asked Club Serena to allow us to camp out at one of the cabanas there. I doubt if Club Serena would allow us though as that would probably be over extending their generosity already.

In a few minutes, we were at Panagsama Beach strip, with rows and rows of resorts on both sides of the road and of which, a few paces leads straight to the beach. The set up is reminiscent of Boracay but the similarity ends there. While I remembered wonderful scuba diving memories in this place, somehow it has lost its magic to me now. Hotel owners did little to improve it or probably driven by constant influx of customers, they have placed little attention to its upkeep. Most of the rooms are full except for one, but with careful thoughts, we decided that it was not worth staying there.

And so with the road now officially dark, we decided to head off back to Cebu but not after spotting a roadside restaurant called Palalong, situated out of nowhere near a cliff in Dumanhug, the town next from Moalboal. I thought I remembered seeing the words “bed and breakfast” but one of the busboys said no when my husband asked if they had a room for the night. I called it divine intervention that I took a few minutes to wash up at the sink as my husband flipped through the menu and found the room rates right on the first page.

Aha! So they did have a room. Apparently, the guy he earlier asked did not really understand the question and conveniently answered “no”. This is something to take note of when talking to somebody, make sure he understands what you are asking…lesson 101 in effective communication indeed!

I was relieved to find the room clean, faucet and aircon running and I must say the view of the Southern part of Cebu and nearby islands from our vantage point were stunning! It was indeed a hidden treasure, that’s not so hidden.


In the morning, we were pleasantly wakened up by the bright sunlight filtered on the window curtain. My little boy still disoriented from the unfamiliar room gave me his sweet smile upon remembering that we were off on a wonderful trip.

Do I feel guilty having spent my Good Friday that way? The answer is absolutely NO.

While I have nothing personal against penance and doing personal sacrifices during the Lenten Season, I have come to realize that no amount of my good works could purchase GOD’s favor and salvation.

In Ephesians 2: 8 to 9, it says,

“For it is by grace that we are saved, through faith---and this is not from ourselves but as a gift of GOD---not by good works so that no one can boast”.

There are days when I do go on fasting and meditation to clear my mind and spend time with GOD. However, I chose not to do it last Friday. After all, I need not please men and conform to their standards and expectations.

And my thoughts on good works? Well, if you have been recipient of the goodness of the Lord, you cannot help but extend the good that you have experienced. Doing good towards others is my way of saying thank you to GOD for the good that He has done in my life. It is never to bribe Him to grant or pardon me for something.