School has just begun here in the Philippines. Public schools started last July 29 while most private schools began last August 5. As usual, children need to buy things for school.
While everyone rushed, my daughter asked for her things after her first day in school. I accompanied her and allowed her to choose on her own while I just looked around. We went to the SM department store instead of going to the National Bookstore because we do not want to join the long lines there.
Looking around, I realized that most schools and offices cannot function without paper! Their supplies are all made of paper: lesson plans, notebooks, quiz papers, envelopes, folders, bond papers, art papers, books, receipts, etc., etc. People cannot live without paper!
Should we be happy that they are available anywhere? Well, in a way, yes because whatever we say, paper is part of our daily lives. On the other hand, my heart bleeds because I care for our Mother Earth as much as I care for humanity. I imagine for every notebook, lesson plan, folder, envelopes, how many trees are we hurting? Do businessmen involved in paper printing even think about it? If they do, are they serious about giving back to our nature?
I believe big businesses here in the Philippines now embrace Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), although they have different ways of implementing it. For those who see CSR as a response to the needs of its shareholders, they manifest CSR by giving donations or holding activities. For those who have plans for long-term sustainability of their businesses, they attain profitability and growth by adopting ethical, social and environmentally responsible business practices (i.e., development of communities, the protection and sustainability of the environment, and the improvement of the people’s quality of life).
There are actually lots of corporate giving practices. Cash donations, in-kind giving, sponsorship of causes, employee giving, etc., but I personally believe that implementation of CSR should depend on the kind of business you are in. In the case of paper manufacturing business for example, I think the best way of giving back is funding a regular TREE PLANTING PROJECT. This seems to be a very simple project, not difficult to do but has sooooo much value to our planet!
I say so because our generation now are reaping the benefits of the trees planted by our grandparents and parents in our small coastal town. When they were alive, one of the laws strongly implemented by them was NO CUTTING OF TREES. There were times when some cousins would violate, especially since our grandparents and parents have died, but when they get noticed they stop.
Other towns have succumbed to the whims of politicians and businessmen, but our family remained faithful to the wishes of our olds. When Typhoon Paeng happened in November 2022, our town was the least affected, and the only reason we could think of was because we still have so many trees that protected us. Other towns got flooded, others lost homes, sadly.
I am happy that our government made efforts in giving back to our Mother Earth such DENR’s initiative of planting of 1 billion bamboo trees by 2030 (yeah, I know it is ambitious but at least they have started something), Department o f Education’s policy to require every graduating student of primary and secondary schools to plant 10 trees and so on.
I hope that in our little ways we can help restore nature.
Photos edited with Pic Collage.