CONSTRUCTIVE SPEECH

“The greatest good to the greatest people for the longest time” are wise words from a wise man
defining conservation, words that came from the Father of Conservation himself; Gifford
Pinchot. At first, the eagerness of Pinchot to fight for environmental conservation left us curious
and left us asking why, but that curiosity led us to the greatest good. That is why today we
declare that we stand before Pinchots’ principle and I Natasha Kim Lleva Castuera will be the
first to prove to you that environmental conservation must be prioritized over economic interest.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Honorable Panelist Teacher Aly and Teacher Rose, and to our
classmates, I would like to greet you all with a pleasant good morning and welcome you to
witness the conclusion of our debate regarding prioritizing environmental conservation over
economic interest.

One of the fundamental causes of economic collapse is the depletion of important resources in
a country, and this is highly evident in the Philippines’ current economic status. According to our
statistical research in the first quarter of 2023, the Philippines experienced a massive downfall in
its resources that resulted in scarcity and price inflation in the country. Some of the resources
that decreased the number of stocks in the Philippines are rice, water, oil, and sugar that is
known to be a prerequisite for living. Based on the article of James Patrick Cruz, 2.7 million
Filipino Families have experienced involuntary hunger due to lack of food and this includes the
families living in provinces who have much more access to natural resources than those who
live in urban areas. What I am trying to point out is that economic collapse does not only affect
the country's overall revenue, monetary exchange, and economic projects but also the welfare
of its people. And economic interest contributes to the complication. People are so fixed on
utilizing as much as resources as possible to obtain economic growth that in reality this only
leads us to drown in scarcity.

That is why environmental conservation needs to be prioritized because this serves as a

solution for any type of economic crisis may it be industrially, agriculturally, or economically.
Conserving our natural resources lengthens the term of economic growth in a country as there
will be enough resources to meet the needs and wants of the economy, especially for the next
generations, hence environmental conservation does not bring the country to temporary
success but long-term success because this preserves what we have now and will continue to
advance with time. Yes, economic interest is vital in attaining economic growth. But remember
that economic interest is nothing without environmental conservation. Because without natural
resources, advancement is unattainable, riches will be poorer, and life will be impossible.