27/09/2026
| ๐๐๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ข๐๐ซ๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐ฒ!
Amid this world's beauty, elegance, and wonders stands a silent guardian against nature's force, a home for thousands of plant and animal species and a natural treasure that shelters our people...
Every ๐๐๐ฉ๐ญ๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ซ ๐๐, we mark ๐๐๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ข๐๐ซ๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐ฒ, an occasion established by President Barack Obama through Presidential Proclamation 413 in 2012, reminding us of our responsibility to save and protect the Sierra Madre Mountain Range from total destruction, such as that brought by Typhoon Ondoy in 2009.
Yet for us, the Sierra Madre is much more than a mountain range, an enormous forest, and a life-giving landform that shields Luzon from the world's howling winds. It is a bountiful store of resources, acting as a refuge for our country's species. The rugged peaks and dense woods of the mountain range teach us resilience and adaptation, a constant reminder that nature is priceless, not only because it feeds and shelters us, but because it surrounds us.
Even so, the Sierra Madre has its own share of shortcomings. The ruin of its grandeur stems from deforestation, illegal logging, and habitat destruction, which, sadly, only deepens the tragedy. And it truly is a great tragedy. Stopping this from happening is not solely the duty of those who live and work in the mountains; it is also ours, as citizens of the world, to change and improve things, so that the mountains, rivers, and forests will remain for the generations to come.
Beyond caring for the environment, we also have a duty to give back to the community. Thanks to the selfless and kind deeds of our Community Coordinators, we are taught a lesson in gratitude. For in helping those in need, they find joy in serving others. They show us what it means to care for and help other people, and in turn, to be a blessing in their lives. May their acts of kindness also move us to be compassionate and generous human beings.
May the forests thrive and the fish still flourish. May the mountains stand firm against the world's fury and the rivers flow free. Most importantly, may we still have these treasures of the world, because the earth is not ours, and we must not treat it as though it were. Let us be caretakers and guardians of our planet, and in doing so, let us learn to loveโ not exploit, plunder, and destroy.
For it is our duty as caretakers and members of the community to protect and conserve the Sierra Madre, to lend a hand to those in need, and to work hard for a better future, so that the generations to come will learn, cherish, and love the Sierra Madre, as we do.
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Layout by: Celestine Misola
Caption by: Sebastian Fajilan
Posted by: Jeremiah Baja
๐ฆ๐ข๐๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐ง๐๐ | Truth and nothing but the truth
