This Year, Luntiang Aghama will work out to be more visible to the Public not only in terms of Spirituality but also in terms of doing our Social Responsibility. As most mystical schools have taught that: As above, So below. Twice a month we are visible in our SangHabi which is the term that we use in congregating ourselves together to study and worship of the Diwata. But this Year, the Diwata sa Kagubatan have encourage us to walk our talk by inserting to the public our influence in caring for our Planet.
As I notice that every time I go out of the Shrine, there are garbage that been scattered in front of our Door. And our Shrine is located just on the road side near Schools, Colleges and Christian Churches, and most activities we do are mostly done in door or in our Garden in the Back Yard.
The most garbage I see outside is either plastic cups, straws from milk tea and so as for cold coffee. I think that Star Bucks mentality have already arrived in our Community which is that buying milk tea or cold coffee will affect their social status that they are wealthy and can afford to buy those things. But contrary to their thinking the Price of their Cold Coffee and Milk Tea only ranges from USD 0.50 to USD 0.75 or from Php 30.00 to Php 40.00 . But what they didn’t realize is that the more affordable their product is, the more consumer their create, the more people become pollutant of this world. Because making their milk tea and cold coffee affordable means their business are cultivating the Buy &Throw Behavior among their consumers. Even those sari-sari store that are selling 3 in 1 coffee which you will just add hot water in your cup is contained in a plastic pouch.
I believe that there are already a movement or ordinance that forbid the single use of plastic in our Country, but i doubt that it is being implemented. I believe that fast foods and restaurants are already implementing this by using either edible or bamboo straw in their drinks. But the pandemic of Covid 19 have brought this business serve their drinks in plastic cups.
What I think that the best solution for business owner is that they will serve their drinks in a reusable container such as this for their milk tea or cold coffee. I know that for the first buyer it will be expensive as they will buy this container, but it will be more cheaper on the next time they buy of they brought with them this container.
Caring for our planet has a cost to spend. Let us not wait for the time that our planet will ask us to pay for the destruction that we have done to her by buying and throwing attitude that we have now in consuming these products.
Dambana ng Luntiang Aghama 