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By Perry Gil S.Mallari
Maria Makiling Incarnate
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Photos by
KJ Rosales |
Given her beauty and mystical aura, it’s so
easy to convince one’s self that Chin-Chin Gutierrez is Maria
Makiling incarnate, the fabled goddess of the Luzon mountain range.
Her attributes are what we imagine a diwata would possess. No wonder
that when she talks about protecting the environment, everybody
hushes and listens.
An artist par
excellence (she acts, sings and paints), Gutierrez practices what
she preaches. And that’s where her credibility lies and what makes
her different from most who merely hop in on the environmental
bandwagon. She rolls up her sleeves to preach the gospel of
environmentalism whether in some far-flung barrio or in the squalor
of the urban jungle.
Taking Tayuman
Gutierrez once again hugged the environmental
limelight when her environmental group Alaga LAHAT recently
partnered with Godiva to take on an ambitious project — to reduce
the waste problem in Tayuman, Tondo, Manila. Dubbed “Zero Waste
Tayuman,” the project aims to educate community leaders and
residents of the area on provisions of the Ecological Solid Waste
Management Act (Republic Act 9003). The initiative, Alaga LAHAT
hopes, would lead to the establishment of material-recovery
facilities (MRFs) within the area’s 44 barangays. Such facilities
are crucial to the proper management of biodegradable and
non-biodegradable wastes in the community.
Gutierrez believes that the concept of “zero
waste” is attainable if only each individual would take
responsibility for his discard. “We should get rid of the
throwaway attitude,” she says. She explains that though the
practical knowledge on environmentalism imparted in seminars they
are conducting is important, the spiritual aspect of the issue
should also be addressed. Gutierrez warns that nature has one
simple, inviolable law and that is, “You will reap what you
sow.” She points out that she was not referring to just outer
garbage, “Tanggalin ang basurang panloob at, mawawala ang basurang
panlabas [Get rid of the inner garbage and the outer garbage will be
gone as well],” Gutierrez says.
The nitty-gritty side
Gutierrez shows unbending optimism on the
zero-waste project in Tayuman. She commends the zealous
participation of the local church, the community leaders and the
residents in the fulfillment of the mission. In an environment where
the prime goal is to get three square meals a day, Gutierrez was
awed by the degree of commitment she saw among the people of Tayuman.
“They are using whatever makeshift materials they could find to
construct MRFs like burlap sacks and old steel drums.”
Discussing the nitty-gritty part of the “zero
waste” scheme, Gutierrez explains that its success would depend
heavily on proper waste management. She explains that there are
basically three types of refuse—panapon [discard], aksaya [waste]
and basura [garbage]. She says much good can be done if households
would just diligently exercise proper segregation of refuse.
“Dapat sa panapon pa lang ipinaghihiwalay na ang nabubulok at
hindi nabubulok [Discards should immediately be segregated into
degradable and non-biodegradable],” Gutierrez says.
She encourages people to practice composting for
their biodegradable refuse and to return non-biodegradable discards
to factories where they can be reused or recycled. To those who
whine about the tediousness of the process, Gutierrez stresses that
there is no other choice, unless they want their place to become a
dumpsite someday. “The only solution to the garbage problem is to
not make garbage,” she declares.
Forging partnership
Gutierrez knows that her advocacy for the
environment would go farther when given a logistical backbone, thus,
she explains, her partnership with Godiva on the Tayuman project.
She says such joint venture is also a good way to promote awareness
among consumers. “It’s a good chance to convince them to become
‘green’ consumers,” she adds. “Because what you buy or what
you use has an impact on the environment.”
Gutierrez acknowledges the enormous
responsibility on her shoulder, as she is regarded as the foremost
environmental advocate in the country. When asked how she sizes up
the sincerity and commitment of companies that want to pursue
environmental campaigns with her as an endorser, she says she had to
know an organization long enough before she would enter into any
partnership. “In the case of Godiva, I had known them for two
years long before I became an endorser of their products.”
Gutierrez says Godiva listens. “It once had a
hot-selling food supplement whose main ingredient came from deep-sea
sharks. But when the company learned that those sharks were
endangered species, they decided to replace that component with a
viable alternative.”
Underscoring the importance of persuading
companies to balance profit with environmental protection, Gutierrez
says she notices that more often, businesses, not the government,
are the ones defining sustainable development.
Nurturing self
To keep up with her advocacy and professional
work, Gutierrez knows the importance of staying healthy. “It’s a
constant balancing act, considering the erratic schedule, constant
traveling and long taping hours that my daily routine entails,”
she says.
As expected, spirituality tops her list of
activities. She describes her prayer time not as a mere session for
enumerating her requests to God but as quiet moments of listening.
“Enough talk, sometimes you just have to be still and listen to
what God is saying,” Gutierrez says.
She credits her vegetarian diet for remaining
lean and trim. “I’m a vegetarian for humane and practical
reasons,” she says. “For one, vegetarian food is easier for the
body to digest and absorb.” Another activity that she finds
nurturing is beauty treatment in a spa.
How does Gutierrez keep stress and burnout at
bay? “Even the River Nile has pauses on its great length. We
should listen to our body and slow down when needed. Remember that
you are also a temple.” She visits her doctor twice a year to make
sure she’s in optimum health.
What goes around comes around
Gutierrez’s environmental crusade through the
years boils down to a sobering truth — that a deadline has been
set for man. “Kung dati may panahon pa, ngayon, nararamdaman na
natin ang epekto ng pagsalaula ng tao sa kalikasan [We no longer
have the luxury of time. We are now experiencing the consequences of
our abuse of nature],” she says.
Gutierrez, though, appeals for a stop to
faultfinding. She points out that each time a man points a finger to
blame other people for what the earth has become, three fingers of
the same hand are pointing at him. “Until we can answer the
question, ‘What have we done for God, our fellow men and the
environment?’ we do not have the right to point an accusing finger
at other people,” she says.
In all her toil, Gutierrez’s mantra is: “The
abbreviation for Mother Earth is ME. You hurt Mother Earth, you hurt
ME. You heal Mother Earth, you heal ME. You save Mother Earth, you
save ME.”
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