3 Reasons to Find Hope Amidst Traffic and Pollution in the Philippines

Maria Gloria Adan
Oct 22, 2022
4 min read

Updated: Nov 16

Traffic dampens our mood. Pollution poisons our air. Both test our patience and our health. Every time gasoline burns, carbon and hydrogen atoms combine to form carbon dioxide—a major source of pollution. These emissions release free radicals that damage our cells, disrupt our systems, and weaken our vitality.

So, how can we possibly find hope amid the chaos of smoke, noise, and congestion?

Because every problem hides a path toward progress. Even amidst the fumes of the city, we can already see hints of a cleaner, brighter tomorrow.

Here are three reasons to keep hope alive—even in the middle of traffic and pollution.

The Rise of Fusion Energy: A Global Beacon of Clean Power

A photo of a nuclear reactor Tokamak.

The future of energy is being built right now in France — in the form of ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor), a monumental collaboration among 35 countries including the United States, the European Union, Japan, Korea, Russia, India, and China.

At its core lies the Tokamak, a powerful magnetic device that can replicate the process that powers the sun — nuclear fusion. Unlike nuclear fission (which splits heavy atoms like uranium or plutonium), fusion combines light atoms—deuterium and tritium—to produce vast amounts of clean energy.

“The deuterium-tritium reaction is the most useful for fusion energy because it most easily overcomes Coulomb repulsion, and it has the highest energy release among laboratory-feasible reactions.”— Powermag

Unlike fossil fuels, fusion energy produces no greenhouse gas emissions. It’s safe, sustainable, and virtually limitless.

Modern leaders across the globe agreed to this project not for fame, but for the survival of humanity — to replace coal, one of the biggest culprits of climate change.

According to End Coal:

“The burning of coal is responsible for 46% of carbon dioxide emissions worldwide and accounts for 72% of total greenhouse gas emissions from the electricity sector.”

And while electric vehicles are promising, many are still built using electricity generated by coal. As The GreenAge reports:

“Manufacturing an electric vehicle generates more carbon emissions than building a traditional car… Factories use vast amounts of energy and often produce huge levels of greenhouse gas emissions.”

Fusion energy is the game-changer we’ve been waiting for — a clean source of power that could one day charge our cars, light our homes, and energize our industries without harming the Earth.

And here’s where it gets more interesting for us Filipinos.

2. The Rumored Deuterium Deposits Beneath the Philippine Trench

Deuterium is common: about 1 out of every 6,500 hydrogen atoms in seawater is in the form of deuterium

When I first read about the rumored deuterium deposits in the Philippine Trench, I was fascinated. Some call it myth, others call it prophecy.

Rappler even labeled it false. But whether it’s rumor or reality, the story invites imagination—and faith.

History tells us that even rumors can lead to world-changing discoveries.

In 1922, King Ibn Saud of Saudi Arabia met a New Zealand mining engineer who had merely heard of oil seeps in the Persian Gulf. A Swiss geologist dismissed it as “a pure gamble.” Yet the King pushed on.

He sent an American engineer to explore the deserts of Arabia. After years of failed drills and financial doubts, the team struck oil in 1938—at Dammam No. 7.

That well became the foundation of Saudi Arabia’s immense oil wealth and changed the world’s energy map forever.

The moral?

Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. Where there’s faith, there’s possibility.

Even if our supposed deuterium deposits are still “rumors,” it’s worth investigating. If true, they could make the Philippines a key player in the clean energy revolution. If false, it still inspires us to explore, to innovate, and to believe that this nation has untapped treasures—both in its land and in its people.

3. The Growing Movement of Christ-Centered Communities

A photo of CCF Pastors

Beyond science and discovery, hope also comes from something deeper — our faith.

Heavy traffic may delay your plans. Pollution may cloud your lungs. But nothing can block the peace that comes from God.

Many Filipinos are rediscovering this truth through Christ’s Commission Fellowship (CCF) — a growing community of believers, pastors, and families devoted to teaching that Jesus Christ is the champion of relationships.

I’m part of that movement myself. And I’ve seen how it transforms people from anxious and fearful to joyful and secure.

When faith grows, hope multiplies. When people anchor their lives in God, they stop seeing the world as hopeless and start seeing it as a mission field.

This is the heart of the Filipino spirit — resilient, faithful, and full of love, no matter how heavy the traffic or how thick the smog.

Conclusion: A Vision Beyond the Smog

Imagine this:

If future Filipino leaders, guided by faith and fueled by science, could tap into deuterium energy beneath our seas — our nation could rise as a global model of clean, sustainable power.

The ITER Project in France might just be a glimpse of what’s possible for us, too.

One day, the Philippines could supply not just labor or talent, but clean energy to the world. We could help heal the same atmosphere that centuries of pollution have damaged.

That’s why even amidst traffic jams and city smoke, we still have reason to hope. Because true progress doesn’t just come from technology — it comes from faith, vision, and the courage to keep believing that better days are within reach.