Reflection

Reflection

My original song, “Making Waves,” is about Joanna Sustento, a Filipino woman who survived Typhoon Yolanda, one of the most powerful tropical cyclones ever recorded, on November 8, 2013, and lost her family to the raging waters. In response to this disaster, Joanna fought for climate change justice with Greenpeace by demanding accountability from fossil fuel companies such as Shell and protesting against oil drills in the Arctic. She also co-organized a project entitled “LIVErary: Living Books and Readers,” which allowed other survivors to share their experiences through storytelling. Even though Yolanda happened almost ten years ago, the impact of climate change still affects the Philippines. It is the efforts of activists like Joanna who will protect the Philippine waters. I felt a deep connection to Joanna’s story not only because of how inspirational it is, but because I, too, am Filipino. Though I am half-Filipino and live in the United States, I can still understand the devastating effects that typhoons can have on families. Whenever a typhoon hits the Philippines, I always keep the safety of my family there in mind. In “Making Waves,” I included the phrase in Tagalog, “kalikasan ay ingatan,” or “protect nature,” to add more cultural layers to the song.