🎋Like a bamboo, we bend but never break🎋

September 19, 2025

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In the Philippines, kids enjoy playing under the sun—games like tumbang preso, Chinese garter, and luksong baka. But the thing is—this was way back then. Now, kids barely play under the sun. Fellow Filipinos tend to always wear sunscreen, jackets, caps, sunglasses, or, in some instances, even all of them at once just to protect themselves from the sun. And this is just some of the effects of climate change.

From cool and calm weather, we now face scorching heat and strong typhoons. Filipinos live through this every day. The rising temperatures cause droughts, affecting crops and our water supply. Typhoons have also become more frequent and destructive, damaging homes, communities, and lives.

Despite all these challenges, the resiliency of Filipinos continues to rise. Like how José Rizal used the bamboo as an analogy in Noli Me Tángere, we Filipinos are strong and flexible. Just like the bamboo that bends when the storm hits, we bow down during hard times—but after the storm passes, we rise again. We don’t break. We recover. And we continue moving forward.

Even when typhoons hit hard and floodwaters rise, Filipinos still find ways to laugh and help each other. Whether it’s helping neighbors, sharing food, or cleaning up together after the storm, the spirit of bayanihan lives on. Some even take these situations lightly-- taking funny videos to post or laughing with neighbors as if nothing happened. While others might see this as being unserious, I see it as a way to cope. We stay resilient not just through strength, but through joy and positivity. In the midst of difficulties, we laugh, we play, we help—and we survive together.

Climate change continues to affect our way of life, but it has also revealed the strength of Filipinos. From extreme heat to frequent strong storms, we face each challenge with courage and unity. We may be a country prone to disasters, but we are also a country full of positivity and resilience. Even though we Filipinos adapt, recover, and can laugh it off, this resilience should not be taken for granted or abused. The government should not become complacent or neglect its duties. In a country like ours, the government must stand with its people and provide real support to help us face these challenges together.

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