Do you feel it? The sun burning so hot that it feels like we’re all being cooked alive as we go through the day, doing our daily tasks?

I hope I am not alone in feeling icky about this weather. Sun is up! And so are our hands and arms in trying to shake the extreme heat out of our bodies. Every morning is a struggle for it feels like we are waking up with the sun hovering inches away from our face.

Did you know that we have reached the hottest temperature in Manila since 1915? Oh yes! The burning 38.0 degrees Celsius in Port Area, Manila on 30 April 1915 was dethroned by the 38.2 degrees Celsius in Manila last week, the hottest for the metropolis so far this year, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).

But wait there’s more! The hottest day in the Philippines was recorded on 15 April 2024 in Isabela where it reached 40 degrees Celsius. Whoa! Imagine, just add 23 degrees more and we could boil an egg just by stepping outside our doorstep.

While this is a not-so-welcome development, this is a warning for all of us living creatures of Earth. There is no one else to blame but us, humans, we are responsible for this climate change.

Is it too hot? Well, too much carbon pollution in the atmosphere is causing obvious changes in the weather. What causes carbon pollution? Human activities from transportation, fossil fuels, agriculture, industrial wastes, and of course improper waste management.

Now the earth is just getting back at us. She has been good and abundant to us humans but what do we give her back? A major headache? Or maybe she's had enough of us.

For decades, we have been taking more than we should have from Mother Nature and have been complacent in thinking we have unlimited natural resources. Now, Mother Earth is fighting back. Maybe we had abused her to the point of leaving her with almost nothing, and now it is her time to protect what is left of her. Will she save us? Or will we save her? That is the question but your answer is as good as mine...

Consider the health impacts of this extreme heat — heat stroke, dehydration, and even death. We are no match to nature's way of cleansing, but we can do our own little ways to help mitigate the effects of climate change and help stop the earth from continuously bleeding.

Together, or even individually, we can rewrite the history of the human race. Of course, I don’t want to be part of the human race that got cooked and wiped off the earth due to extreme heat. Maybe we can revise our stories. Hey folks, we’re all in this together, come on!

We can help by planting more seedlings; that’s not so hard to do, right? The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) has planted a total of four million seedlings/mangroves nationwide from 2020 to 2024.

As climate change continues to threaten human lives and ecosystems, PPA has been consistent in its fight against climate change and in supporting the government’s National Greening Program (NGP) as part of the agency’s corporate social responsibility.

As of 31 March 2024, a total of 3,909,608 seedlings/mangroves have been planted as reported by its Port Management Offices based on certifications issued by the CENRO/DENR.

As far back as 18 December 2020, PPA Administrative Order (AO) No. 014-2020 entitled Mandatory Tree and/or Mangrove Planting as a Condition for the Issuance of Accreditation, Certificate of Registration, Appointment, or Award of Contract, or Renewal/Extension Thereof was issued.

Under this AO, a PPA accreditation certificate, certificate of registration, permit to operate, appointment, including contracts for the provision of services in the ports are subject to the condition that the applicant/grantee shall plant trees and/or mangroves of at least 1,000 seedlings.

The PPA adheres to the concept of ensuring that port activities are focused on minimizing the adverse or negative impacts on the environment and ensuring that all aspects of port operations and port development are geared towards the protection and preservation of the environment for the maximum utilization of port facilities.

Let us take initiatives in programs to establish linkages with national and local government units, non-governmental organizations, and port stakeholders to ensure environmental protection and preservation while improving man-made facilities.

Alone we can do so little, but together we can do so much! Let us empower and educate each person in our neighborhood and even in the government to fight climate change. Let us choose sustainable and eco-friendly options in our daily lives be they in transportation, household emissions, and food choices.

We have only one earth, let us not wait for the enormity of these environmental problems to fully hit us before we take a stand and act accordingly. Don’t wait before it’s too late, before we fry or sink… because remember, you and I, we are all in the same boat!