by Lito Dar

Health and environment problems such as climate change are all caused mainly by human induced behavior particularly behaviors that are not morally and spiritually guided.

This was stressed by former Senator Leticia Ramos Shahani, in her keynote address, during the “Inward, Upward…Onward, Forward—for health, environmental integrity, and Human Values,” symposium Friday at the University of the Philippines (UP-Baguio).

According to Shahani, aside from health and environmental concerns, the Philippines is now also sliding down or moving backward, from once one of the leading economic country in Asia, which is why all Filipinos should wake up and help the government move the country forward.

“Wake up my friends, my fellow Filipinos, it will depend on each and everyone of us, not only to help ourselves but also to help others, to serve all as the problems of health, environment are mainly because of human behavior, interventions not guided by values. It is about time that we take our responsibility, for our national destiny and faith,” Shahani said.

Shahani said that it is important for every person to look inside themselves, since there is good in each and everyone, then to look upward – to God, for spiritual guidance, as this is what each and everyone needs - moral and spiritual values - to move forward and help others, even the government, in moving the country forward.

“We have to make our inner lives the foundation of what our outer lives is going to be. We have something good inside each and every one of us and our inward part is the starting point of ourselves. Learn how to keep silent so you can listen to yourself, then you would realize that there are many good qualities, peaceful, good, respectful, which is very important in any things that you are doing, personally, on health or environment, on shaping your own human values,” Shahani said.

“With the power of this human (moral) value and through spiritual guidance, we can transform this country, regarding who are the government leaders, the transformation will depend on all of us, as the power is all inside of each and every one of us,” Shahani stressed.

The said symposium was organized by the Brahma Kumaris Philippine Foundation, in partnership with the City Government of Baguio, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the Department of Health (DOH), the Civil Service Commission (CSC) and the Maryknoll Ecological Sanctuary, in line of the celebration of Health Day and Earth Day this April.

In an interview, Brahma Kumaris, Philippines national coordinator Rebecca Ortega, said that the main objective of the symposium is to give emphasis on the importance of values in all human endeavor, especially on the preservation of our environment and health protection.

“Hindi lamang sa kalusugan ng katawan kundi pati kaisipan. Ang Brahma Kumaris ay isang organisasyon na nag-e-emphasize ng mga values for human wellness and world betterment. Nais naming makatulong na ibalik ang values sa buhay ng tao,” Ortega stressed.*(LD - PIA CAR)