I dont want flowers, I only want trees.

Last Friday, my good friend Des and I, along with some colleagues from  Philippine Youth Climate Movement attended the legacy night for the great environmental activist Odette Alcantara. Actually, I was just invited by Kester Yu and Anna Oposa while we were having a meeting at Starbucks Katipunan the day before. They told me that it was a good opportunity to build networks and meet people who are actively involved in projects and programs for the environment. 

Isa pa, we are currently looking for sponsors for the Philippine delegation for the Conference of the Parties 16 (COP 16) in which all three of us are a part of, well, not that we planned to ask money from the people present in the event but somehow we thought they can help us find linkages to organizations and companies that are generous enough to 'spare us some dosh'. 

It was properly raining that time and so people started coming in an hour late which was okay, we were more concerned about the people watching John Mayer's concert, they must be like 'basang-sisiws' and Anna could be one of the them. 

Anyway, Kester was with a guy named JD, he is a fourth year Geology student from UPD and he is part of ICU, a project initiated by Kester and Anna. There we also met Vivienne who is working under Atty. Tony Oposa in the Law of Nature Foundation. It was such an overwhelming event to be honest because we are in a sea of environmental geniuses, but not a word short for inspiring since these people have done an awful lot for the environment and its protection--the very reason why they were present that night. 

Young people represent--PhilYCM and ICU with Tita O's son and Voltaire

The people who were close to Tita O, as they fondly call her, shared some of their memorable experiences with her when she was still alive. Judging from their stories, I can tell that she is one amazing envi-superhero, championing the 'rights of trees and the atmosphere'. It is such as shame though that I was not able to personally meet her and that makes me envy Kester since he was able to share quite a few moments with Tita O. All the more that I envy Renzo Guinto, another brill guy that I met at the event, who is considered as an "anak sa labas" by Tita Odette. It was very evident how much they miss a woman with such blistering passion for taking care of the environment. 

We were able to meet some people from Earth Day Network Philippines and its quite challenging to sit with these guys while they hand you a volunteer sign-up sheet. How can you say no if its for the environment? I signed up for the PAWIKAN project headed by Ramon Flores and the Earth Day Village. 

Performances were also showcased the whole night and one of them is from Anna Feleo, daughter of acclaimed director Laurice Guillen and Johnny Delgado. 

Ana Feleo in a very moving performance of  "Usahay"

Finally, a quote from Tita Odette herself:

"Right thinking, right result

Wrong thinking, wrong result

No thinking, no result"