From the Editor-in-Chief

How’s the weather?

I’ve been on Earth almost six decades now. Many of you who are reading this today have perhaps lived longer so I know I won’t be alone when I say that the weather…is strange.

I still remember when December was a cold season. I used to own sweaters, often bought in markets in Baguio, given by a relative and even sewn by hand by a godmother. But my evenings were spent in this season, all bundled up and cozy, drinking hot chocolate to keep the cold at bay.

It is oh so different now — the demarcations of seasons all awry as we know it. In an age gone by, (I feel this most palpably these days), there seemed to be a clear difference between wet and dry seasons. I remember learning this in school. Now on a given day, one can have rain and sun, in equal measure. Just the past four months, our country was hit by 4 typhoons. 

We must remember, that these demarcations we use to make sense of what happens above us, are of course, man-made. The wind and the rain do not look to us to decide how to behave. 

It does, however, behave, based on how we behave and misbehave. Anyone who would disbelieve the adverse effects of climate change would be called a fool. And not the wise kind. 

In 2022, Ateneo de Manila, under the leadership of university president Fr Roberto C Yap SJ, made an institutional commitment to participate in Pope Francis’ 7-year journey towards integral ecology. This began our Laudato Si’ journey, which means that we are responding to the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor - prioritizing sustainable development, ethical consumption, defence of human life, and ecological awareness and education. 

It is as Ignatius terms it, a way of proceeding. Although we hear now and then of disagreements about the methods by which we achieve this, I choose to look at these differences as a sign that we are much more aware that ecology, sustainability, responsibility for the earth, is much better achieved or can only be achieved as a community. 

In this issue, we take a look at stories of modern day Earth warriors - institutions and individuals who have chosen the life of working for Mother Earth. We hope these stories inspire you, but more than that, to lead you into action. Let there be awareness of how our consumption makes an impact on the environment. Let us find ways to live simply and frugally (one of my mother’s favorite words); let us be much more in touch with nature, actively seek it, and cultivate it in our own homes. Do not despair at the difficulty of keeping anything alive. It is all a matter of understanding sun, water and earth. No education could ever top that simple and sweet knowledge.

We, at Fabilioh, wish you the very best of the new year.