Kung Hei Fat Choi! Today is Chinese New Year and officially the year of the metal rat.
A lot has happened this month already, not just in the Philippines but around the world. The devastating aftermath of bush fires in Australia where billions of animals were killed still has not fully sinked in, then came the eruption of Taal volcano last January 12. Just recently, a new virus called Novel Corona Virus or nCoV is spreading like wildfire in Wuhan, China and killing people from all walks of life. It’s rather scary and a lot to take in to be honest,
I am not from Australia and I’ve never been there but seeing how badly the country was affected by this calamity is so heartbreaking. I can’t imagine leaving a place you’ve come to love and lived all your life just because you have no choice. I feel the pain of poor animals who are oblivious and confused of what was happening around them. Seeing everything turned to dust is just unimaginable, the place they used to call home is gone.
Two weeks ago, Taal volcano erupted, that left thousands of homes and properties buried in ash. Even animals were not spared, thousands of horses used for tourism were left in Volcano island including all other animals. The lucky ones survived but I guess they were still not so lucky after all because they is no way that any living being will survive without food or water since everything was covered in ash. Our kababayans were brought to evacuation sites whilst the animals were left behind not because their owners don’t care about them, but for obvious reasons that it is not easy to transport animals that’s why the local government implemented window hours just so animal welfare groups and the locals will be given a chance to rescue these poor animals.
Filipinos have a big heart and care about each other in times of need. No natural calamity can dampen our spirits. We still manage to smile even if we are uncertain of what the future holds. They say that the worse has yet to come. Nobody knows when Taal will release its anger in full blast. As of this writing, it appears a little calm based on the smoke coming out of it but who knows if it’s just really a “calm before the storm.”
Climate change at its finest, geez…the world is getting hot! And I mean it, literally. One of the reasons why I became vegan is the environment, the earth. I know I cannot save the world overnight by going vegan, but, imagine reducing carbon footprint by not eating animal meat each day. Viruses coming from carcass of animals are being passed on to humans...I think it's animals way of saying "pay back time!" The earth is getting old, calamities here and there but it's making me think, we contributed to all of it, didn't we? This is all a wake up call... there is no second earth or any other habitual planet we can go. I hope and pray that it’s never too late for change.
