More fires during Fire Prevention Month, heaps of litter at a pro-environment rock concert. It doesn’t make sense in the real world. But this is, after all, the Philippines, where interesting things have happened—from a church leader named Cardinal Sin to children’s names being printed on bodies of taxi cabs.
Thousands attended this year's Earth Day Jam, but very few of them got the message. Photo by Carmela Lapeña
It doesn’t make anything better. Last Friday's Earth Day Jam was pretty nightmarish, not only for those with claustrophobia, but most especially for the poor souls tasked to clean the mess it left the next day. (Earth Day is celebrated worldwide on April 22 but the organizers decided to hold the concert the following day, a Friday.) Typical of many Filipinos, concert-goers ignored the trash bags that were strategically placed in conspicuous spots in the venue—which only showed how they heard the music but not the message.
Care bear Except, perhaps, for Winnie the Pooh. After Noel Cabangon, Tropical Depression, Kalayo, Up Dharma Down and Urbandub performed their respective sets, many had trooped out of the venue, leaving the familiar rotund yellow bear picking up trash they left.
Bookay Ukay, which sells hard-to-find second-hand books, sets up shop on the street. Photo by Carmela Lapeña
Winnie the Pooh was actually Step Juan’s Tomas Leonor, who was last spotted walking all across the country to raise funds for the Cancer Warriors Foundation. This time, Leonor was teaching through action as an active Greenpeace member. Sweat pouring down his face, Leonor told GMANews.TV that picking up trash is a good way to spend your time while enjoying the bands. As for the costume, Leonor said it was necessary. "People won't give me a second look if I just pick up trash. But now, they'll ask, hey, why is Winnie the Pooh picking up trash?" he said. Curious stares he got, and even some photo ops. But nobody cared to follow his example.
Stink For a pro-environment concert, Earth Day Jam stank to high heavens, mostly due to the portable toilets (portalets) that usually could be found at the end of long lines.
"Winnie the Pooh" tried to set an example by picking trash at the venue, but all he got were curious stares and requests for photo-ops. Photo by Carmela Lapeña
If there’s one thing that benefited from this, it’s the nearby establishments, as many tired concert-goers would duck in for a while to rest and replenish the calories they had lost sweating, dancing, or simply trying to find their companions in the impossibly thick crowd. Various booths featured earth-friendly solutions to every problem, and there was also an eco-friendly car on display. A booth set up by Green Army had tarpaulins on the 7 Eco-Battles: clean air, clean water, water security, sustainable extraction, biodiversity conservation, climate change reversal, and garbage-free communities. The guys from Bookay Ukay were also there, peddling books from Ray Bradbury to Jose Saramago, as well as some homemade musical instruments.
Message sending failed But Earth Day Jam was not all bad. The more than 20 bands, for one, did more than just perform their hits. Along with their two-song sets were pro-Earth spiels delivered to the audience. It's just that their message failed to reach the crowd.
Skaters provide a side show during Earth Day Jam 2010. Photo by Carmela Lapeña
At one point, the hosts called on the audience to come up and share unique earth-saving tips. The best that one attendee could come up with was turn off the lights. I was tempted to volunteer and say "Cut your hair" or maybe even "Everyone pick up the trash around you," but I was too tired, and I didn't think I could make it through the sweaty crowd in front of the stage. Maybe next year, littering should be fined. Then we can all have a fine, fine time, and Winnie the Pooh can enjoy his honey instead of having to pick up trash.
- KBK, GMANews.TV 
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