ENVIRONMENTAL

How overfishing threatens the world's oceans—and why it

could end in catastrophe
Decades of harvesting the seas have disrupted the delicate balance of marine ecosystems—despite
global efforts to mitigate the damage

Scientists have long been sounding the alarm about a looming catastrophe of ocean
overfishing—the harvesting of wildlife from the sea at rates too high for species to
replace themselves. Yet for two decades, global leaders have been at an impasse in
their efforts to reverse the damage that has been done.

Marine scientists know when widespread overfishing of the seas began. And they
have a pretty good idea when, if left unaddressed, it will end badly.

How overfishing affects biodiversity

Faced with the collapse of large-fish populations, commercial fleets began traveling
deeper in the ocean and farther down the food chain for viable catches. This so-
called "fishing down" has triggered a chain reaction that is upsetting the ancient
and delicate balance of the sea's biologic system.

Coral reefs, for example, are particularly vulnerable to overfishing. Plant-eating

fish keep these ecosystems in balance  by eating algae, keeping the coral clean and
healthy so that it can grow. Fishing out too many herbivores—whether
intentionally or as bycatch—can weaken reefs and make them more susceptible to
being ravaged by extreme weather events and climate change. Fishing equipment
and debris can also physically destroy  the fragile corals that make up the reef
foundations.

Overfishing can also harm other marine species. Trawling, a method in which
boats pull massive nets behind them in the water, pulls in more than just shrimp
and bluefin tuna—it captures just about anything in its path. Sea turtles, dolphins,
sea birds, sharks, and other animals have all faced existential threats  as bycatch.
PAANONG ANG KONTEKSTONG ITO AY KONEKTADO SA KATARUNGANG
PANLIPUNAN?
(ENVIRONMENTAL)
- Pinapakita nito ang problema natin pagdating sa ating mga karagatan at mga
isda o mga bagay na may buhay at may malaking ginagampanan sa ating
pamumuhay at sa patuloy na pag ikot ng lipunan. Ginawa ito ng ating Diyos
upang may makain at alagaan ito, dahil ito’y isang biyaya na dapat
binibigyang halaga. Paano bang nakakalabag ito sa KATARUNGANG
PANLIPUNAN? Ito’y lumalabag pagdating sa pagiging makatarungan ang
makatarungan ay isang gawain na makakapagbigay sa bawat isang tao sa
lipunan ng nararapat sakanila na makakpagresulta sa pantay pantay na tao.
Nangyayari ang overfishing dahil sa pagiging gahaman ng mga tao sa mga
bagay na nasa harapan na nila, imbis na makuntento na sila ay mas gugustuhin
pa nilang masira ang isang mahalagang bagay kaysa mataasan ng mga
kakumpitensiyang mga kumpanya. At dahil dito hindi nararapat sa mga ibang
tao ang mga ganitong bagay dahil nga hindi nila kayang tumigil kapag sobra
na.
(POLITIKAL)
- Kurapsyon, isa sa mga sanhi ng mga problema natin ngayon. Bakit ba hindi ito
ay hindi matatawag na may KATARUNGANG PANLIPUNAN? Dahil ito’y isang
uri ng pandaraya ang pagiging kurap ay hindi makatarungan para mga tao na
nagbabayad ng buwis para sa hinahangad nilang ito’y makakatulong upang
mapaunlad ang kanilang lipunan, ngunit malalaman nalang nila na ito na
pala’y binubulsa ng mga taong nakatataas sa atin.
(EDUKASYON)
- Ang mga tao ay bahagi ng isnag lipunan, matanda man o matanda lahat tayo
ay may ginagpanang bagay sa isang lipunan. Kaya lahat tayo ay may
karapatang makamit ang mga pangunahing pangangailangan katulad na
lamang ng edukasyon. Ang article na ito ay nag papatibay na hindi lahat ng
tao ay nabibigyan ng pagkakataong makapag aral dahil sa mga hirap sa buhay
pinansyal at mga isyu na nangyayari sa Mundo.
 POLITIKAL
Former Cebu town treasurer sentenced 20 years for late mayor’s
illegal cash advances

CEBU, Philippines – The Sandiganbayan’s Sixth Division found former Ronda, Cebu
municipal treasurer Esperato del Socorro guilty of malversation of public funds in a decision
promulgated on Tuesday, February 7. 

Based on the 124-page decision  penned by Associate Justice Kevin Narce Vivero, Del
Socorro conspired with the late mayor of Ronda, Esteban Sia, by issuing anomalous cash
advances for purposes other than travel in 2009 which remained unliquidated.

Ronda is a town in the second district of Cebu province.

Many red flags, which included issued checks with no disbursement vouchers and supporting
documents, also showed up in the Commission on Audit (COA) 2009 annual report on Ronda.

The COA findings prompted the Sangguniang Bayan of Ronda to create a resolution that led
to the filing of a formal complaint against 13 local officials, including the mayor, the
municipal treasurer, and municipal accountant Genera Kasayan.

By November 2019, Kasayan testified as a state witness, pointing out the many irregularities
with the cash advances requested by Sia.

In her testimony, she said that she had sent multiple demand letters to the mayor about the
unliquidated cash advances, despite the mayor’s “brash behavior.”

“I was at the receiving end of pressure, reprimands, and public humiliation when I dared to
question his transactions or when vouchers reached my office for my signature and I dared to
reject it,” Kasayan said in her counter-affidavit.

During the course of the trial, Sia admitted that he received the money from the cash
advances, but he died on

July 17, 2020, forcing the court to dismiss the graft charges against him on December 1, 2021.

Despite this, the court still held Del Socorro criminally liable even though he did not benefit
from any of the unliquidated money which totaled P2,063,422.72.
 EDUKASYON

Filipino children continue missing education

opportunities in another year of school closure
Together with four other countries, the Philippines has kept its schools closed
nationwide since the COVID-19 pandemic

MANILA,25 August 2021-- A child's first day of school—a landmark moment for the
youngest students and their parents around the world—has been delayed due to COVID-19
for an estimated 140 million young minds, UNICEF said in a new analysis released as
summer break comes to end in many parts of the world.

The Philippines is one of the five countries in the world that have not started in-person
classes since the pandemic began, affecting the right to learn of more than 27 million
Filipino students. While new variants are causing a rise of infections, UNICEF is
advocating for a phased reopening of schools, beginning in low-risk areas. This can be
done on a voluntary basis with proper safety protocols in place.

"The first day of school is a landmark moment in a child's life—setting them off on a life-
changing path of personal learning and growth. Most of us can remember countless
minor details—what clothes we wore, our teacher's name, who we sat next to. But for
millions of children, that important day has been indefinitely postponed," said UNICEF
Executive Director Henrietta Fore. "As classes resume in many parts of the world, millions
of first graders have been waiting to see the inside of a classroom for over a year. Millions
more may not see one at all this school term. For the most vulnerable, their risk of never
stepping into a classroom in their lifetime is skyrocketing."

For an estimated eight million students around the globe—who should have been in the
first grade— the wait for their first day of in-person learning has been over a year and
counting, as they live in places where schools have been closed throughout the pandemic.
 EKONOMIYA

How the Onion Became the Symbol of Inflation in the

Philippines
In December, the staple vegetable was selling for more than
the cost of chicken and beef.
The inflation crisis in the Philippines is reflected in the unprecedentedly high cost of onions,
which forced the government of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to launch rolling stores,
release smuggled goods, and import from nearby countries.

Consumers started to notice the rising price of onions in August of last year. Restaurants
also complained that suppliers had jacked up prices by at least ten times. The price
surge continued until December, when a kilogram of onions became more expensive than an
equivalent amount of beef and chicken. A lawmaker even lamented that the world’s most
expensive red onion was to be found in local markets.

The impact on ordinary Filipinos is so acute that it led families to prepare food with a very
minimal amount of onion during the recent Christmas holiday. Funny memes depicting onion
as a luxury gift and symbol of affluence were widely shared on social media. The humor hides
the suffering of poor families who are barely surviving amid the rising prices of basic goods
and the absence of a substantial wage hike.

The supply shortage is attributed to weather disturbances and the decision of local farmers to
plant a different variety of onions. The government has also blamed “unscrupulous traders
and hoarders for the unreasonable price of onion.”

PAANONG ANG KONTEKSTONG ITO AY MAY KONEKSYON SA KARUNUNGANG

PANLIPUNAN?
( EKONOMIYA)
- Implasyon isa sa mga malalaking problemang hinaharap ng karamihan ngayon.
Apekyado nito lahat lalo na ang mga pamilyang may problema pinansyal o di kaya
walang trabaho. Ang simpleng sibuyas na pangunahing kailangan sa pag luluto ay para
bang ginto na ang presyo ngayon, madaming napapatanong kung bakit ba ganito ito
kamahal kahit naman makikita nila sa mga ibang article ay anihan na ng mga sibuyas
ngayon, ang hindi nila alam ay may mga negosyateng gahaman at makasarili ginagawa
nila ang bagay na tinatawag na hoarding. Ang hoarding ay pagtatago ng mga produkto na
makakapagresulta ng shortage at mapapataas ang mga presyo ng bilihin. Dahil sa
 gawaing ito walang katarungan ang nagaganap dahil hindi nakakamit nga mga tao ang
mga bagay na nararapat sakanila.

GIANA MAREIGH R. MERCADO

9-ATIS
ESP

KATARUNGANG
PANLIPUNAN