Earth Day came and went without much notice in Metro Cebu, maybe because its election season but still you can differentiate it from Earth hour celenrations.

It's weird and ironic that some politicians who dare say that they are for the environment do something opposite to what they say. You can see political posters hammered into trees or ribbons wrapped all over plants.

Earth Day is celebrated to promote awareness and seek commitment from peoples around the world to do simple environment-friendly acts on that day and beyond. People’s resolutions included quitting smoking, taking public transportation and cutting down on electricity use.

Candidates gave the usual pledges to love and protect Mother Earth but the simple act of not hurting the trees was not among their commitments to the environment. Furthermore, they have spent A LOT in their campaign that would've been better used to immediate problems of the country.

Conserve water; plant indigenous trees and other plants; segregate waste, compost and recycle; do not burn waste, including agricultural waste; walk or bike when going short distances; collect and use rainwater; use reusable bags for grocery and market; buy organic food and environment-friendly products; and use mass transit including buses and jeepneys.

One would think candidates have learned not to hurt the trees in their campaigns after all their speeches about being “green” but evidence to the contrary is all around.

The Department of Environment had said in past election seasons that every nail or staple driven into a tree to promote a candidate is a stab into the city’s “lungs” as trees in metropolitan areas help people breathe easier.

These trees help offset the impact of greenhouse gases and mitigate their global warming and they also serve as food more some animals and shelter for birds. When will we learn?