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YOUTH SUMMIT
YOUTH ACTION FOR HEALTH, POPULATION
AND ENVIRONMENT
RD LYDIA S. DEPRA-RAMOS
Youth of today, LEADERS of Tomorrow! This second summit is dedicated to you in recognition of your potential as effective agent of change and as leaders toward the attainment of the aspirations of our people – a progressive and peaceful nation!
Predicaments,
challenges are inevitable partners of being alive! Let not these things
downsize you into inaction and despair but rather take these things as
pills of vigor and strength that would turn you into a better and
stronger person and become leaders whenever you are and in whatever
sphere of endeavor you are in.
Youth action for
HPE calls on you for willingness and readiness to engage on these 3
action points which are in fact the Core or the basic framework of our
existence here on earth.
Environment
affects our health, our food and water, our politics, and our economy.
What can you do to ensure that these effects are positive? People claim
that environment protection is important but few act on this
conviction! We allow our tropical forest to be cut down, we allow our
coral reefs destroyed and we allow the mining of our shoreline of the
life-giving magnetite or black sand! Oh, my God, we allow ourselves to
be robbed of the things that will make us alive – in health, in peace
and in prosperity!
Let me share
with you the result of a comprehensive assessment of Current World
Environmental Conditions by UN Environmental Program. The world
currently has approximately 6.5 B people and increasing at a rate of 85M
each year. 1.1 B people lack access to safe drinking water; twice don’t have
adequate sanitation; polluted water contributes to death of more than
15M people each year, most are children under 5; 40% of world
population lines in countries where water demands exceeds the supply;
850M are clinically undernourished; 60M face acute food shortage due to bad weather, barren soil, or politics.
Indeed, much has
to be done! In order to save Mother Earth; its people; its vegetation;
a concerted call for action of every sector of society is called upon.
The youth shall not allow themselves to be spared in this concerted call for action. Group yourseves, form action teams for HPE and
become leaders of advocates that would energize a quivering few to a
mass movement of action – SAVE MOTHER EARTH, SAVE THE WORLD.
As I end let me share with you the maxim and my prayer that had guided me through as a public servant and as a person.
“I shall pass this way but once, whatever good I can do, let me do it now for
I shall not pass this way again!”
Yes opportunity
to make a difference knock only once – grab it! And to quote Margaret
Mead: “ Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people
can change the World”….
(Signed) LYDIA S. DEPRA-RAMOS, MD., MPH., CESO
Director IV
Regional Director
Department of Health
Center for Health Development
Cagayan Valley
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