Since I was a little girl, I was taught not to litter, throw your trash properly, conserve water  just like the other youngsters. I envy the stories of the adults like "I remember this place, back then, these buildings were just crops" or "I remember how clean Pasig River" or "There were so many trees here in my time. I missed the simple life where mostly everything was clean.

For my generation, it was global warming, forest fires, increase numbers of endangered animals, dirty bodies of water and so many environmental issues. When I entered college, I joined an organization where we fight for the environment. I attended a team building  in Arroceros Park or also known as "The Last Lung of Manila." 

It was cool being there, Manila was known for its tall building, amazing infrastructures, but knowing that there is still trees in Manila made me feel relieved. Roaming around Arroceros Park made me appreciate nature more. There was also an activity where we tied cloths around a tree. That cloth has a message for everyone who sees it. And I wrote "Hope that my children knows what a tree looks like."

I'm not overreacting about the next generation not knowing how trees look like. Based on what you see, how our environment looks like, based on what our environment issues are, I'm afraid that the next generation would be in a crisis. I am one of the many students who cares and fights for the environment, I hope everyone cares and fights for the environment because an environment issue is everyone's problems.

For me, the best gift for the next generation is the environment where they will be living on. It's just frustrating, as a future adult, or a future parent when you'll tell stories about what the environment really looks like in my time or need to show pictures of trees, plants, or clean water. Our environment is also the source of our livelihood.