Pinoy's Environmental Awareness in Mr. Green's Point of View.

During my tricycle driver days, me and my fellow trike driver had a conversation about the government plan of banning two strokes motorcycle. We don't agree to that plan, not only because it will severely affect our livelihood but also on our belief that two strokes motorcycle is not hazardous because it has a white smoke. For us, its the jeepney that need to be banned because it has a black smoke.


A picture of a two strokes motorcycle with sidecar, usually called tricycle or trike in the Philippines. This is one of the common type of transportation in the Philippines.

We have this crazy perception maybe because we were influence so much by the Mr Clean(a brand of detergent bar in the Philippines) commercial wherein they portray white as a sign of cleanliness and also by some television shows and movies showing angels or good people wearing white, while the evil one wearing black. LOL.

I am not trying to insult the intelligence of the ordinary Pinoy like me. I just want to show how we lack the proper information about taking care the environment back then or even up to now.

Lack of knowledge in the worsening pollution is very imminent in Filipino's walk of life. Every day there are thousands of jeepneys out on Philippines street. Jeepneys are blamed as one of the major pollutants in the Philippines. You may say that every street in the world is clogged by vehicles, why Philippines is different. Jeepneys are built from the engine of second-hand Japanese trucks, which is euphemistically known as "surplus". Most of these engines already considered as garbage in Japan and no longer being used because it emits large black smokes.

Another major pollutants plying the streets of the Philippines is the two strokes motorcycle. Although they have fewer moving parts and have a higher power/weight ratio, 2-stroke engines usually do emit more pollutants.

Not only this vehicles emit to much pollutants, but sometimes they are also being painted by a lead paint. They are using this paint as a primer before the original paint will be applied. This is mostly use to coat galvanized sheets and iron pipes to prevent rust. Lead paint is already banned in the US for years now. Here, there are still a lot of people who don't know that lead is toxic and can pose serious danger to our health. Filipino prefer this kind of vehicles because it is cheaper and easy to maintain but unfortunately, environment is clearly being disregarded.

Most Filipino also are not aware of the importance of a tree. I have a neighbor who advised me to cut the tree in our front yard because it litters a lot. Majority of Pinoy no longer plant tree in their backyard, they prefer to have their backyard concreted and covered with roof. Some business establishment also cut the tree on the street that is blocking their front view. If they only knew that tree absorb some of the poisonous carbon dioxide and plants and grass does not absorb heat unlike concrete and galvanized iron sheets.

Addition to those mentioned above, burning of garbage, rampant use of plastic bag, throwing of hazardous chemical and waste in the bodies of water, and lack of information drive on how to take care the environment from the government and some media entities are indication that we have a poor environmental awareness.