Speech # 3 Get to the Point - Final

Speech Title: Be an Ecotourist!

Imagine multitudes of birds rising from the ground and into the air. They fly above you and completely cover the sky. “Wow”, you say.”What a magnificent sight.” It is the perfect time to capture the moment on digital camera. But in some cases, these sights are “man-made”. Would you love the scene quite as much if you were aware of the fact that, hidden in the long grass are ‘beaters’. These are people who fires guns several times to raise the birds from their nests into the air.

Toastmasters, guests, my dear friends, they are disturbing these birds in their natural habitat purely to make a ‘photo opportunity for tourist. Wouldn’t it be better to wait for that time when the birds ‘flock’ naturally? Altering the birds’ natural flying pattern is not good for the ecology and risks upsetting the delicate balance of their existence.

Many ecological projects are not able to maintain the delicate balance of nature and have overlooked the fact that environmental conservation is the only way to further economic growth. A perfect example is one of the bats’ kingdom found in Subic. Increasing construction of the infrastructure and amenities required for the increasing number of visitors caused the disappearance of the bat population that used to live there. The noise coming from the transport vehicles that keep passing by, disturbed the natural habitat of these nocturnal mammals and they flew away, never to return.

Although ecotourism developers claimed to be well-educated experts and dedicated to environment conservations, they rarely understand the ecological consequences of their operations and how their day-to-day activities upset the fauna and flora present in the area. As a result the bats are leaving, the tourists stop coming and the business establishments are closing down.

The same might happen to the Banaue Rice Terraces. It has been the eighth wonder of the world and considered as one of the mankind’s greatest engineering feat. Now the terraces are showing signs of erosion with some parts untilled. The new generations of Ifugaos are migrating to the cities looking for better opportunities to earn a living and this leaves the older generation to do the hard work of maintaining these awesome works of art. As they get older, some of them find it easier and more lucrative to work in the tourism industry rather than in the rice fields. But even there, cultural extinction threatens their way of life. The dances for the Ifugao rituals which are used to entertain tourist are mainly being performed by the older women. The current generations are no longer interested in either learning the dance or performing for tourists. The rice terraces and the Ifugo culture are the main attraction of the area. If they fail it will also cause the destruction of the tourism industry, leaving them with nothing.

Ladies and gentlemen, if things go on as they are, then this wonderful place will become history and may even be forgotten.

We need to protect mother earth on our own little way. Let us make ourselves ecotourists and forget the conventional tourist that we used to be. Anyone can do this, it’s really quite simple.
Stay on designated trails during bird watching and avoid taking tours which use ‘beaters’ who disturb the wild life simply to allow you to ‘get a better photograph’.

Control your urge of taking souvenirs. Leave those rocks, plants and animals where you found them and allow others to marvel in their beauty.

If you can do these things, then you can be an ecotourist. These things seem simple and easy to do, but it can be difficult to remember the rules when you get excited and want that ‘picture perfect’ moment.

When we travel we need to show respect for the lives of the indigenous people and avoid discrimination. We might think of ourselves as ‘educated people’ but the local inhabitants are much more knowledgeable than us when it comes to their surrounding natural areas. There is a delicate balance that must be attained and maintained, for while these people need to have an alternative livelihood to live, they also have the right to share in the economic benefits gained by these ecotourism projects. Without this balance we are removing their means of survival.

Let us conserve the beauty and fragility of nature by protecting the ecosystem, promoting the sustainable use of biodiversity and sharing the socio-economic benefits with the local communities through informed consent and participation. We should strive to increase our environmental and cultural knowledge and reduced waste. We need to minimize our own impact in the environment. If we can achieve all these, then we can gain long term benefits for the environment and the local communities.

My dear friends let us all be vigilant. Let us all be eco-friendly not only in our words but also in our hearts and in our deeds. Be an ecotourist!