Young Roots
Alternatives
By Johanne Margarette R. Macob
IN our present-day world where our needs, or better yet, our wants continue to increase while our resources grow less, it is but wise to consider using alternatives, and well, it’s even wiser to opt for it.
Recently, we had this friendly exchange of ideas with a consultant in the municipality of Bugallon, Mr. Amado Aquino. Our talk on flood and its mitigation led us to the topic of water hyacinths or water lilies. For the ignorant, as I was on the subject, the lovely flower-bearing, free-floating aqua plant is considered as an infestation to river systems. The water lilies clog waterways that often, if not always, lead to floods.
In our province alone, these lilies are germinating in various slow moving rivers. Other waterways in the rest of the country like the Laguna De Bay are also home to water hyacinths. Taking note the growing presence of the said plant as well as the damage these cause, efforts in different places to turn the disadvantage into an advantage have been made. One is the Laguna Livelihood Emergency Accelerated Program (LEAP) by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) that put up the Water Lily Development Project. A little research on the web made me learn that the said project did not only clean up the Laguna Lake but also turned water hyacinths from being a nuisance into useful raw materials for livelihood opportunities.
Water lilies are now being made into slippers, bags, housewares, among others in different parts of the Philippines, i.e., Laguna, Taguig, and in Las Piñas that even holds a festival that boasts of water lily-products, and in parts of Bicol. I know water lilies are likewise abundant in Pangasinan. However, I am not aware of any group that makes the most out of these lilies. It’s a good alternative…
In another occasion, Congressman Conrad Estrella, as he spoke during the State of the Campus Address of the executive director of the Pangasinan State University Alaminos City Campus, told the students and teachers to check on the internet about rabbit raising.
Apart from our carabao, pig, goat, and chicken industry, it will not hurt to consider raising rabbits, indeed. The representative said that rabbit raising is easy and cheap. The rabbit meat is also said to be nutritious and tasty.
P.S. Also, citing the same source, I would like to share that container vans can be turned into shelters. These make way cheaper homes than the conventional houses made of cements and woods. And again, I must say, it will not hurt to consider this alternative.
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