As Christians, we are reminded that this season of Advent is a time for us to turn away from sin.

We are called to prepare the way for the coming of Christ into our hearts, coming into ourselves. We are expected to ensure fair play and justice in our dealings with others, filling valleys, leveling mountains, and straightening the crooked road, preparing a pathway for the Lord. All of this is our preparation for Christmas.

We must face the challenges that come our way as we prepare our hearts to receive Jesus as our saving God this Christmas. We should also be prepared for Christ’s daily coming into our lives through the Holy Eucharist, the Holy Bible, everyone we encounter, and the praying community.

We need to prepare our hearts and lives for Jesus, our Savior, to be reborn in us during this Christmas season. We must straighten any crooked paths we’ve been walking, such as our involvement in secret or habitual sins, or sinful relationships. If we have been involved in dishonest practices at work or at home, we are called to straighten them out and make restitution.

Finally, we are asked to be ready to meet Jesus as our Judge at His Second Coming, at the end of our lives, and at the end of the world.

By the way, have you heard about the Las Piñas-Parañaque Wetland Park (LPPWP)? And do you know the vital person behind it, and how it became a beautiful place now benefitting the residents, fisherfolk, and visitors there?

It was through the efforts of Senator Cynthia Villar that the place was protected. She has been at the forefront of the campaign for the protection and preservation of this critical habitat.

Villar worked for the development of the LPPWP as an eco-tourism destination so that more support could be garnered for its continued protection.

Villar, as the chair of the Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, has rallied against the Manila Bay reclamation projects which, according to experts, would be detrimental to the environment and the livelihood of 300,000 fishermen. But the worst of it is that the projects are predicted to bring 3 to 4-meter floods, not only to Las Piñas but also to the nearby cities.

I think Senator Villar pursued the development of the LPPWP because she believes that by doing so, she could give hope to the residents of Las Piñas, Parañaque and Cavite, and free them from future tragedy.

Her move has earned the gratitude not only of the local people but also of the religious, private, and environmental sectors.

Villar is fighting bravely to protect Manila Bay and the LPPWP, considered Metro Manila’s last frontier.

It may be recalled that the LPPWP was designated a protected area under Republic Act 11038, or the Expanded NIPAS Act, of which Villar was the main author. It is also recognized as a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention, to which the Philippines is a signatory and has an obligation to protect the site.

Aside from being a protected area and Ramsar site, the LPPWP is also home to migratory birds, endemic species, and serves as a natural defense against flooding and climate change. Its mangroves provide protection against sea level rise, storm surges, and flooding in Las Piñas, Parañaque, and even Bacoor.

Villar is right. The DENR and related agencies should re-evaluate, re-question, and re-study the environmental hazards and impact of the reclamation projects, as they will affect more than 635 hectares of the wetland park.

Many environmental changes have occurred since the reclamation projects were first approved, including the consequences of climate change, sea level rise, and the worsening risk of biodiversity loss. We should not risk our natural resources for the interests of a few.

Villar’s fight is not only for Las Piñas and Parañaque but for the future of every Filipino.