The University of San Carlos, a prestigious catholic institution not only in Cebu, but arguably the whole country, is a devout university to the teachings of the church. They ostentatiously commercialized to have taught their students the fundamental lessons God himself taught; although it is no argument. They did not fall short on the action and motivation to instill those values and their motives of doing so may be in and of itself worthy of recognition, it is their action contradicting such teachings that is beyond deception.

Whoever speaks of the name of the University of San Carlos automatically has in mind a stereotype of prestige, poise, and incomparable discipline. Not knowing that behind the façade of such stereotype is a paradox worthy of castigation. A scenery sore to the eyes of the critical and those who keep vigilant eyes contrasts the landscape of decade-old trees. My eyes were one of those that ceaselessly squint when it catches a glimpse of the paradox that hid behind the tall walls of a catholic institution I proudly belonged.

But like every story, there is always an antagonist. There is always that one group, no matter how small, who refuses to keep silent and considers silence as cowardice. We, the students of the Environmental Sociology class of Mr. Aloy Cañete were a rowdy bunch. A small group of not exceeding 25, decided to take up arms and battle against the giants of the institution we are in. With a mindset of catalyzing change, we, together with our passionate teacher, planned a movement that would go up against the paradox right in the backyard of where we were holding up our classes. A feeling of dissonance persistently whips us back to awareness; we are stakeholders and we have as much right as the honorary priests running the said institution into voicing out our opinions. We are students of this university. And whatever is boiling inside the school we are studying in is information that must pass through our ears.

After careful deliberation on what steps to take and what errands to run, we came up with the idea of going against what is closest to us. As students of an environmental sociology class, it would only be appropriate if we rise up against an abuse towards the environment.

Behind the immaculate façade of our university, is a tragedy waiting to happen. Mountains, that took millions of years to rise up to its peak, have been degraded into flat lands. Thick vegetation that held its ground against the most malignant of storms, pose no threat to the iron-hand of mechanical machineries. Fertile soil, that has supported who knows what since time immemorial, has been sloughed off the ground leaving it barren and lifeless. A quarry concealed technically by redundant laws as a site development, has been going on atop the university; an activity that goes against any teachings of God. A paradox we were keen on stopping.

Utilizing technology, I took a glance of the place on Google Maps. It is a software where you can view virtually anywhere on the surface of the earth. And for a sad reason, the place was not difficult to find. This is due to the salient and significant contrast of colors; a puddle of yellowish bedrock hidden behind a wall of tall trees. But, from a bird’s vantage point, the trees disclosed its dark secret. The quarrying has been undergoing even before I entered the institution. Its scale is gut-wrenchingly large, and its effects on ecology are haunting.

We took a stand. We decided to make good on what little voice we have and use it to reverberate our castigations and aimed to raise awareness to the silent many. We refused to become silent, and be a part of the conglomerate that takes up arms. Our arsenal is our voices, our principles, and our passion. We may be few, but our cause reverberates to the deepest corners of the institution itself. We hoped to tickle the sleeping majority, point them out to the issue right behind their backyards, and promote awareness of those who were like us before we joined the class. We organized the Kontra-Quarry sa TC movement. Our fundamental aim was to go against the quarrying that is killing what little is left of our school’s flora and fauna. We endeavored for change.

It is a movement an amalgam of diverse students secretly contrived. But in all honesty, at first I wasn’t really that passionate about the said activity. It was way beyond me, and I was too pre-occupied with errands I have yet accomplished. I reckon it to be a burden. And I could have never been more satisfied to be proven wrong. As the movement shaped up into what was once a surreal idea, and became a tangible force, I began to unclench my fists and embraced the aim of the movement. It was a cause worthy of immersing myself into.

And now, the semester has ended and the movement, I personally reckon was a success. Having stirred up the drowsy administration, our movement woke them up and opened their half-closed eyes that the students refused to stand quiet. A successful forum was organized by everyone involved in the movement tackling on issues revolving around the quarry. Our goal was clear: to put an end to the un-Christian works of quarrying. Also, t-shirts were printed for free to those who show support to our movement. Subsidized by the So-An department, the students involved were keen on spreading the protest. We also visited rooms, talked a bit about what our movement was about, and called for more students to join. Overall, it was arduous. But the fruits of our labors were sweet.

Having been a part of the movement convened in me a lot of learning. A value that has been etched into the deepest part of my convoluted brain will linger till the last tree on earth drops. I have learned that we are enmeshed in a giant cobweb with nature. And that whatever happens to a corner consequently reverberates to the other corner. We are one with everything else. Say for example, the quarry happening on top of the university led to the catastrophe-like flooding beneath and outside the school premise; a dilemma that hasn’t been addressed even though the situation has gotten worse and worse. We are all connected in a single strand of string called nature; a predicament we are innately tied with, and where we are bounded to death. And even to death, we remain tied to the encompassing grip of nature.

I have learned to love nature more. I have learned to remain vigilant, and continually ferret for more abuses against it. We are part of nature, and if anything, we are nature itself. The mountains, brought about by incomprehensible forces, grew freely. And it should be left free. The adulterated mountains of the University of San Carlos is an epitome of how dangerous we humans could be, provided we keep a blind eye of the adverse effects of our actions. The once pristine condition of the university’s ecology has now become a rugged, malevolent tableau. We must keep in mind, and steadfastly at that, that we owe our existence and subsistence to nature. We, together with many other, should be the guardians, not the delinquent specie. We are nature.

My eyes are now wider than they ever were. With a fear that may be, someday, my children and their children’s children, and so on, might not be able to see what I have seen, to experience what I have experience, touch what I am still able to touch, I grow weary every day. I am niggled by the thought that everything might be lost, and we, as a specie, are the instigators. I ought to foment awareness. I believe that in every human lies a dormant will to stimulate change. All we need is a little shove at the back, and the momentum will build up for itself. I will be the “shover” if given the opportunity.

As an agent of change, I consecrate my word that I will continue what we began. And it should also be a troth for everyone involved to perpetuate the prolific start. It is not necessary to rally in a rowdy ensemble. Little commitments will suffice. In our own little actions, we do good with what we have consecrated. As agents of change, it is what’s closest to us that we have to draw the starting line. We start within ourselves. To promote change, it is to ourselves that we should start promoting it with. I am an agent of change. And as Edward Everett Hale insinuated, “I am only one, but I am one. I can't do everything, but I can do something. The something I ought to do, I can do. And by the grace of God, I will.” If everybody’s mindset will be this, then as the many ones convene, will make a conglomerate of agents who aims to preserve what little is left of our breathtaking nature. We are nature.

I have a vision. That someday, I will be able to see what my ancestors saw; an unadulterated condition of nature, a pristine backdrop. I will be able to swim the seas without fear of contamination. I will be able to walk the road without worry that I might inhale a putrid stench. I will be able to climb trees without irk that it might be my last. I will be able to photograph the sublime features of nature whose only fear might be the insufficiency of memory space. I will be able to tour my children, and my grandchildren to places I deemed breathtaking, and still they are there. And when that someday comes that I knock on the door of the place everybody is destined to, I will be confident that the place I will be leaving is still the place I have lived, or be better.

I am part of nature. I am nature.