Today, we start the 6th month of 2023.
As we thank the Lord for His protection for the first five months of this year, we again invoke His protection for this new month and for the rest of the remaining months of this year.
Liturgically, Easter has ended.
The month of May ended with Mama Mary’s visitation to her cousin Elizabeth. Mama Mary’s merry month of May, with the rosaries, Flores de Mayo and Santa Cruzan, has ended as well.
What to expect this June?
This month has been packaged for brides. Will there be an increase of June brides and weddings?
June 12 is Philippine Independence Day.
Millions of Filipinos, however, continue to await genuine independence - from poverty, hunger, unemployment, homelessness, from inequality especially, and more.
Here, the same date has been set as deadline by Cebu City Mayor Mike Rama for the cleanup of city streets. Will the envisioned clean streets of Cebu materialize and will the city streets be cleaned for this day only or from this day forward?
Sana from here on, no?
Also, would it not be ideal, if a higher per capita income for Cebuanos is also an urgent and important component of that Singapore-like Cebu vision?
As of December 2022, according to the IMF (International Monetary Fund), the Philippines had a per capital income of $3623.32 while Singapore had US$82,794.00 (23 times more).
Do you think this is an attainable goal, shared not only by Mayor Mike but the whole Cebu City Sanggunian?
We share the vision of a more livable Cebu City, clean, garbage-free, with effective, systematic, efficient, transparent, pro-people, people-ecofriendly, inclusive governance, with people’s needs adequately responded to.
Food security assured, residents with access to clean, sanitary water and healthy surroundings, education, employment, health service, among others.
Everyone has to join hands together, though, to have a livable Cebu City soon, not later unta.
Perhaps this June, we can all start to commit/contribute our share for a livable Cebu City?
Last Tuesday, we saw one happy picture of Cebu City Hall department teams ready to take on the challenge - to contribute their share and grow urban gardens, ready, not only for the proposed July Food Summit, but for food security for all!
We learned that an official memo required all City Hall offices/departments to join in this urban gardening training/campaign.
We also witnessed a show of unity in City Hall, with representatives from the offices of the City Administrator, City Agriculture, various departments and City Mayor’s Office for Solid Waste Management encouraged by Councilor Pastor JunAlcover to start kitchen-waste composted and other gardens at specified plots at the SRP to inspire all other Cebu City constituents to also start their household/community gardens!
Councilor Alcover also shared the happy news that Mayor Mike approved monetary incentives for teams with the most productive gardens by July!
And Mayor Mike, bonuses too for all the City Hall officials/employees who will join this urban gardening campaign?
Also, like Councilor Alcover, Legislative Secretary Chappy Piramide, City Agriculture Joey Baclayon, Emma Ramas-Special Assistant to the Mayor for Waste Management-and those from the City Administrator’s office, we hope all these participants echo to other city constituents the urgency and value of kitchen-waste composted gardens and encourage all in urban/coastal/farm/forest communities to also grow their own household gardens!
Having higher per capita income may take time but growing composted gardens are easily doable and attainable!
If managed very well, practitioners may soon earn extra income from their compost and composted plants!!!
Looking forward to the DENR-7, Cebu City Hall and future participants of the RCE-CEBU kitchen waste and options for segregated waste training practice what they learned and grow composted gardens in their households from this June!
Go, go, go, Cebu City, everyone !!!