It won't be long until our world disintegrates into a mass of debris, filling it with the mistake of people's ignorance and greed. I may not be innocent, but I was aware of the consequences.

Living beside the beach was like a dream. Growing up, the only sounds you could hear were the ocean waves and seagulls squawking. The salty breeze I felt was one of the things that could calm me down. It used to be a quiet island where people lived harmoniously, trying to maintain safety for the aquatic life that was being well taken care of. However, as the small town in Boracay started to warmly welcome visitors from other nations, that's when the downfall of the island began.

Businessmen started taking interest with the secluded island, wanting hotels, bars and other establishments that could offer them more money and power over the residents of Boracay. It all happened too fast. The developments of small huts, which eventually turned into buildings, were quick to use the shore as a nice spot to lure tourists of their product and service offers. Sewage lines were built carelessly that literally connected down to the ocean water. Every bar that was open at night until the break of dawn, accumulated hundreds of plastic cups from a single night of a hellish party.

It didn't stop there. As tourists became aware of our beautiful island, they came every single day in fuel ridden boats that were from our neighboring land. They were irresponsible with their actions and surroundings, throwing their trash anywhere and even disturbing the ecosystem. Residents of the island were offered jobs to merely pick up garbage from people who had no idea that they were slowly destroying our home.

The once crystal blue ocean was stained with the filth of these humans. The seagulls picked and ate foreign items floating on the water, not knowing that it could poison or choke them to their death. Even the sand was littered with trash and the people didn't even bat an eye.

As a young teenage girl, my voice didn't matter. I used to tell my father, "'Tay, what are we going to do? People are polluting the place. They should all leave our land."

There was guilt in his eyes but I knew that he was going to disappoint me with his reply, "I'm sorry, anak. The tourists pay good money. They put rice onto our table."

I may not have gotten the support I needed but it didn't stop me to raise my voice for awareness. We all have a voice. We all have the power to do something. People wouldn't believe until they saw the damage they have caused when everything would already be too late. There was still time to change our habits. It may not ultimately eliminate the problem but we could avoid it and create something more. Let us be educated on how we could bring our island the tranquility it deserved.