Collateral damage
They are known mainly through their generic names: seaweeds, starfish, sea anemones, sponges, clams, mussels, crustaceans, barnacles, and small fish. Most of them thrive in a shallow water marine environment. They eat surrounding algae and zooplankton, but they also become the prey or food for humans. This state of nature is God’s design as part of His creation, and life revolves around this cycle and regenerates and thrives in diversity.
In the quest for development, humans invade their habitat, destroying the balance of nature and eventually pushing some species to the brink of extinction. Yes, these sea creatures, but their significance pales in comparison to human greed disguised as a quest for human development. They kneel as orphans on the altar of human ambitions.
Now, there is a grandiose plan for massive development in the municipal waters of Tagbilaran City: an artificial island will emerge exactly at the habitat of these nameless, faceless, and voiceless sea creatures. Soon, their paradise under the sea will be covered by tons of clay, sand, hill cut, rock, boulders, cobbles, and gravel and will forever be buried underneath man’s kingdom.
The resident creatures bound to succumb to this ambitious project are not collateral damage in the equation called life. Their mother is called Nature – patient and kind and is known to be forgiving of human frailties. But Nature has its limits. When its patience runs out, it unleashes its wrath on humans to restore its balance. For this to happen, many humans are bound to suffer from extreme pain, disease, poverty, hunger, and homelessness.