First day of Sustainable Development class, our professor showed picture and asked what we see? Someone said corn plantation, another one said wheat and I said elements that sustain plant life. There was no definite answer to it but she suggested that we look beyond what we see and consider factors why particular image was developed; for the next picture, it was a different story as the invisible became visible. In search for an inspiration to write, I chance upon a black and white image of a family and gradually the illustration showed me link between population, poverty, resources and environment in relation to sustainable development.
Google search: Image of poverty and hundreds appeared; this very picture of the Villapando Family moved me. The family lives in Payatas, in a 20 square meters shanty where in the couple and their seven children dine, sleep and wait for the day to end. An everyday picture became ordinary instead of alarming. What stimulated my personal being was the consistency in the look of their eyes, from the head of the family to the one-year old boy, is an evidence of pain, hunger and innocence to ignorance. Indeed, they are an epitome of poverty part of the 1.7 billion people to live in absolute poverty today, and worst to be part of approximately 25,000 people dying of hunger alone and this number continue to grow bigger every single day. Statistics proved relation of population to poverty a simple equation of the greater number of people means more mouth to feed, more demands of clean water to clench thirst and greater needs of resources that often leads to exploitation of environment to sustain the needs of present without considering the future.
This leads me to compare the Villapando family to my grandparents who both have the same number of children. Through pictures, I traveled back in time when my mom was still at her puberty stage. Never do I encounter a picture the same with the Villapando’s. Most of the pictures showed my mom beaming with smiles with her siblings; they look healthy, pictures in school uniforms, birthday parties and during graduation. How come my lolo, a jeepney driver and my lola, a plain housewife was able to send all his seven children to school and find ways for them to earn diploma and Mr. Villapando still vague for the future? My grandparents had experienced some struggles; they just aimed to provide the basic needs for their children. I guess my lolo took opportunities and time to his advantage when jeepney was in demand means of transportation and fuel cost less per liter; State Universities providing quality education at no cost and institution on feeding programs dutifully enforce nutrition. While, my lola manages the income wisely; with less resources but clear vision and direction they able to provide a decent life for their children which we their grandchildren had benefited.
Population is a contributing factor to poverty and increases demands for resources utilization; every single day billions of people take more than what they need from the environment without returning the favor and so many have none for them to meet their own needs. In theory, sustainable development is attainable, but in reality, many issues hinder this development. My lolo stood firm for his family, made use of resources around him and the earnings was well managed and allocated by my lola not only for the present needs of their children but of the future generation. Leadership and uncorrupt institution to govern over its people and resources is a huge factor for a successful development. This lead me further realized Charles Darwin once said, “If the misery of the poor be caused not by the laws of nature, but by our institutions, great is our sin”.
The World Commission on Environment and Development first officially defined the term “sustainability” as entailing "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." Although it means many different things to different people, sustainable development generally refers to sustainability in terms of environmental, economic, and social progress and equity, all interconnected and operating within the limits of natural resources.
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