The light after the storm

 I walk along the coast in my barangay, often to take pictures of the sunset. Every time I go, I feel the intense heat, an extreme heat caused by human activities that contribute to global warming and, consequently, climate change. Climate change is a long-term shift in global and regional temperatures and weather patterns driven primarily by human activities, especially the burning of fossil fuels. Some of its common effects in our country are the super typhoons that are becoming more frequent, causing flooding and landslides, destroying homes and communities, and costing billions. Yet, in the middle of these super typhoons, we can still see smiles on the faces of Filipinos. Some even make TikTok videos in the flood as if nothing has happened. It seems so normal, but its impact on our planet is more severe than we think. Even though Filipinos are known for their smiles, laughter, and resilience in fighting life's challenges, I have to wonder: If the storms grow stronger, will our smiles help? Will our laughs still be heard? Will we still be able to rebuild what's broken? This makes me realize that being happy in hard times won't always be possible. There will come a time when we can no longer smile due to the severity of our environmental problems. Is the resilience of the Filipino a gift, or is it just the thing that's keeping us from demanding a solution to the environmental problems that are slowly killing our country?

Our ability to recover from challenges while remaining complacent about the need for change is not acceptable. Just because we can endure the impact doesn't mean we should settle for it forever. We have experienced storms, typhoons, and even volcanic eruptions together, so why not demand a solution together? The answer is that our environment has been suffering for a very long time, yet we have only recently begun to focus on it. We should have acted a long time ago, had Filipinos not been misled by politicians who are not focused on making a change but rather on caring only for their own families, not the communities they are meant to serve. While the people of the Philippines struggle, some politicians are flying out of the country on private jets and helicopters. Are we just going to let this happen until our so-called resilience can no longer help us? If I were to ask myself, I would not want this to happen. Therefore, just as we help each other to rebuild houses after storms, we should also help one another in demanding a solution, in making a change. Aside from flooding, other contributors to climate change in our country include illegal logging and black sand mining, or dredging. Black sand mining is also done here in Ilocos, specifically in Caoayan. While it may be presented as a legitimate project for improving river flow and restoring channels, it caused public concern after a video of a dredging vessel transferring sand at the Santa anchorage was shared online in March 2025. These are just some of the things that contribute to climate change, causing us to experience various problems. In this case, we should use our resilience to help each other rebuild the peaceful country we once had.

In conclusion, we have always known that our resilience is helpful, but we also need to realize that we can use it for more than just rebuilding our homes. We can also use it to help each other in demanding change for the protection of our planet, which is slowly being taken over by climate change. We need to use our resilience to create a stronger environment that no storm can destroy. There will always be a light after a storm, and the Filipino people and their resilience are that light, they are the light that will build a healthier environment that can rebuild, demand change, and fight for its own good. 👥