Climate and Recovery in the Youth’s Words

The best entries from our Storytelling Workshop with Malabon high school students on Nov. 19, 2021

Senior High School

Bring Back the Better
Alexis Jereza
Panghulo National High School
Best Output

Traffic noise from the streets and crowded public places has an impact on our daily lives. Every morning as I walk a short distance to school, a beautiful sunrise flashes in front of my eyes, and the bell rings. Everything was typical, face-to-face classes and learning in the schoolroom, then I woke up in silence and could only see four corners of my room. A virus that has claimed so many lives is sweeping the globe. My habitual days express my happiness and joy, but now my memories are filled with fear and hope.

With uncertainty, I am filling the pages of my life with unforeseen indelible moments while battling the number one enemy — the COVID-19 pandemic. But I do believe that I am not fighting alone. My beloved community is determined to help Malabonian survive these trying times inspired by this tag line “Malabonian Kaya Naten!”. To augment the medical assistance to our community, the local government managed to provide a Ceremonial COVID-19 Pediatrics Vaccination at Oreta Sports Complex, which assists our community in reducing the number of infections and building a more secure community during pandemic. Also, it initiated planting trees along Sucul River in Brgy. Catmon with Malabon City Jail Male Dormitory Personnel to promote the Climate Change action to save Mother Earth.

To live life to the fullest is to live in a more liveable environment and healthier community. I am a generation Z and I am proud to say that after facing many difficulties brought by the pandemic and climate change, Malabon is taking every action possible. As Tony Robbins says “It’s pretty simple – The action you take will determine the result you achieve”. #I HEART MALABON.

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Ryza Janella Israel
Arellano University – Elisa Esguerra Campus
Honorable Mention

I experienced a lot of different things when the pandemic hit. I’ve been through a lot of difficulties, and one of these is the hard time adjusting to the new blended learning. I know most of the students also experienced what I’ve experienced. 

We can’t blame the students because we have different levels of understanding and capacity to learn. But I just know whatever struggles happen, we are all doing our best to survive and pass through this. We just need to be determined on what our goals are to achieve in life and what will be the benefits we can get by achieving these goals.

Instead of downing the students and putting pressure on them, teachers should be the one who’s accountable to help their students, thus they have the access or power to lessen the schoolwork to do. Both students & teachers are adjusting to this, so instead of putting blame on one another, why not just help each other to grow together? We can be each other’s helping hand when we have nothing to hold on to. By helping each other not only one person can achieve his goal but both of you will benefit.

Let’s All Return To How It Was Before
Rocelle Christine Lacuesta
Arellano University – Elisa Esguerra Campus
Honorable Mention

I can still remember the day when I last entered my former school’s premises to take our last periodical examination as a Grade 9 student. It was in the second week of March, year 2020, when we are still oblivious to the possibility that that day may be the day we can last see each other in face-to-face classes. 

After finishing answering our tests, we left the school and went home, relieved that we are able to survive another day of challenging questions, hoping that tomorrow will pass as fast as that day. Only for us to receive an announcement that tomorrow’s tests are suspended due to the continuous spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. Yet we chatted happily in our group chat that we must stay prepared because classes might continue again after a few days of suspension. 

After days and weeks of waiting, it never came. And after two years of waiting, now, I am a Grade 11 HUMSS student, studying from a different school far from my former classmates, facing different gadgets everyday to attend my online classes, because after two years of waiting, we might now be in the same situation when the pandemic striked us, but we barely improved.

That is why as a student and a student leader whose wish is to return to how it was before, I am encouraging my fellow students to follow the strict rules and regulations in this pandemic, and continue persevering for their dreams. Because I, as a student, am willing to wait until all of us can return to how we were before.

Junior High School

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Treshia Lim & Nathalia dela Cruz
St. James Academy
1st Place

“Oh, the weather outside is frightful. But the fire is so delightful. Since we’ve no place to go – Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!”

Like a blizzard, the COVID-19 Pandemic filled people’s hearts with worry, leaving them trapped in their houses for days on end, months after months, shivering and shaking at the thought of getting the disease.

Having to spend every passing day alone in your room staring at the screen as the blue light illuminates your face gets dull and tiring. But fear not, for Santa Claus is coming to town! And a present or two from good ole Saint Nick would surely bring a little joy in our lives as Christmas lights start casting colors into the room. 

“When we finally kiss goodnight, how I’ll hate going out in the storm. But if you really grab me tight, all the way home, I’ll be warm.”

It was that time of the year again where St. James Academy gets a bit cheerier and volunteers to be Santa’s helpers through the annual program the school hosts, the Christmas Fund Drive (CFD). Changes may happen, diseases may plague us, and calamities can ruin us, but tradition will always find its way. 

However, instead of toys, every family the school can reach will be gifted with some subsidy to help them get through the day. This whole ordeal was transparent and donations weren’t mandatory – it emphasized the spirit of gift-giving to the less fortunate.

Last year’s CFD assisted more than 500 families, visited 3 cities, and toured 5 different municipalities.

Santa might come late, but the gifts will keep on coming.

“Oh, the fire is slowly dying. And, my dear, we’re still goodbying. But as long as you love me so – let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!”

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Angelo de Guzman & Khrista Nicole Cabonegro
Tugatog National High School
2nd Place

Sa lumipas na dekada, ang suliranin sa kalikasan partikular sa pagbabago ng klima ay lubos na nakaapekto sa kalusugan at buhay ng mga tao nang napakasama. Ang ilang mga insidente ay nakakuha ng pansin ng buong mundo at naglagay ng isang malaking tandang pananong tungkol sa kung paano tayo kumikilos sa pang-araw-araw na buhay. 

Lingid sa ating kaalaman na ang mga lungsod ay may mahalagang papel na dapat gampanan sa pagtiyak ng berde at makatarungang pagbawi at pagtugon sa krisis sa klima sa gitna ng pandemya. Ang pagbabago ng klima ay hindi siyang problema, ang tunay na problema ay tayong mga tao dahil sa ating kamangmangan at kawalang interes sa pagsugpo nito at sa pangangalaga sa ating kalikasan. Ang maliit nating hakbang ay may malaking pagbabago. Kailangan nating magtulungan at magkaisa upang magsilbing boses ng mga napagkaitang indibidwal. 

Kinailangan ng kasalukuyang krisis sa kapaligiran at kalusugan na ilantad ang mga bitak na nagpapanatili sa ating lipunan na hindi pantay-pantay, na ang pinaka-mahina ay nagdadala ng bigat ng mga epekto. Ngunit nakita rin natin ang isang sulyap kung paano makikinabang ang lahat ng pinagsama-samang pagsisikap mula sa mga frontliner, kabataan, artista, at ordinaryong mamamayan. 

At bawat isa sa atin ay may papel din dito, dahil anumang pangmatagalang pagbabago na gusto nating makita sa ating mga lungsod at munisipalidad ay dapat magsimula sa ating sarili. 

Tulad ng sinabi ng soberanya, ang ating mga sarili ay ang makapangyarihan upang simulang imulat at maliwanagan ang bawat isa ukol sa pangangalaga sa kapaligiran. Hindi lang ito basta isang aksyon, kundi solusyon ito ng pagbabago saplot ito karunungan na matitimo sa isipan ng bawat kabataan. May boses ang isinusulat natin, may tinig ang bawat papel at pluma, at sumisigaw ng pagsulong ang ating mga diwa.

Gulayan at Paaralan sa Tahanan
Czarina Mae Bonaobra & Allyzza Marie Brillante
Tinajeros National High School
3rd Place

Ang COVID-19 ay nagsimula sa Wuhan, China noong Disyembre 2019. Hindi nagtagal ay kumalat na rin ito sa Pilipinas. Dahilan ng pandemya, pansamantalang itinigil ang mga paaralan, mga trabaho, at ipinasara ang ilang mga kompanya. Maraming Pilipino ang nawalan ng trabaho, dumanas ng kagutuman, lalong nalugmok sa kahirapan, at kumitil ito ng maraming buhay. Higit dito, hindi natin maikakailang patuloy pa rin tayong dumaranas ng mga natural na sakuna dulot ng kakulangan sa pangangalaga sa kalikasan. 

Sa pagtigil ng pisikal na pag-aaral ng mga mag-aaral ay siyang pagtigil din ng mga proyekto sa loob nito at isa na rito ay ukol sa ating kapaligiran. Sa Tinajeros National High School isinasagawa ang ‘Gulayan sa Paaralan’. Nagsimula ang gulayang ito sa maliit at kakaunting mga pananim at sa paglipas ng panahon ay patuloy na pinaunlad ito ng pagtutulungan ng aming mga guro, naming mga estudyante, at iba pang mga kawani sa aming paaralan.

Ang mga gawain katulad ng pagtatanim ng iba’t ibang pananim, at halamang-gulay na isinagawa rito ay nakatutulong upang maibalik ang sigla ng ating kapaligiran at magkaroon ng magandang epekto sa kalusugan din naming mga estudyante at mamamayan. Nahinto ito sa panahon ng pandemya ngunit kalaunan lamang ay mayroong mga guro ang nanguna muli sa pagpapatuloy ng proyektong ito. Iba’t ibang uri ng halaman, gulay, prutas, at maging mga bulaklak ang matatagpuan sa gulayang ito sa aming paaralan. 

Kinitil man ng mapaminsalang sakit pansamantala ang sariwang hangin at ilang pagkakakitaan, ngunit hindi ang pag-asang bumangon muli. Sa pamamagitan ng mga butong patuloy na naitatanim sa proyektong Gulayan sa Paaralan, inaasahang ito ay magbubunga hindi lamang ng mga halamang makatutulong sa pagpapanumbalik ng sariwang hangin, kundi ang muling pag-usbong ng mga pag-asang makabangon sa kabila ng mga kinakaharap na hamon magpahanggang sa hinaharap.

These stories are the best outputs out of 19 entries submitted during the Storytelling Workshop conducted by Greenpeace Philippines, in partnership with AKLAT Foundation and the Office of Malabon District II Councilor Nadja Vicencio on November 19, 2021. Twelve schools participated in the activity: Ninoy Aquino Senior High School, Dampalit Integrated School, Tinajeros National High School, Arellano University – Elisa Esguerra, Catmon Integrated School, Imelda Integrated Secondary School, Panghulo National High School, St. James Academy, Tugatog National High School, Longos National High School, Malabon National High School, St. Therese of the Child Jesus Academy.