The Ecological literacy of Dr. Abercio V. Rotor

• Main Author: Chua, Rina Garcia
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2014
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_masteral/4645
• Institution: De La Salle University

This project was designed to explore the ecoliterate tendencies of Dr. Abercio V. Rotor through his eco-poems in the collection Dont Cut the Trees, Dont! and related essays in his two other books, The Living with Nature Handbook and Living with Nature in Our Times. The aim of this ecocritique is to analyze the following: how his ecological literacy shapes his poetry, how his poetry fulfills the goal of ecological literacy, and why his poetry represents a significant contribution to the steps being undertaken to save the earth. Tropes of ecocriticism are used to support the ecoliterate tendencies that are introduced, namely: place as a mutualistic environment species interrelationship dismantling of disasters aesthetics of environmental justice. These tendencies have paved the way for a more critical/concrete perception of ecocriticism in the Philippine context and a stronger link between and among three fields literature, science, and education in the environmental debate. This thesis has ecocritiqued the following areas of ecocriticism: the mutualism of north and south environments in our country, the misperception of other animals and our interrelationship with them as species, the dismantling of disasters to bring forth survival through witnessing, and aesthetics and environmental justice in eco-poetry as a way to testify against environmental abuses. Rotors ecoliteracy has consistently interpreted these tendencies through his eco-poetry with the use of his vast scientific knowledge, literary background, and educational perspective. In doing so, he encourages sustainable thoughts which in turn can be actions and steps toward saving the earth. Therefore, ecological literacy has provided a link to utilize eco poems for educational purposes to inspire and ingrain sustainable thoughts in readers. This way, ecocriticism and environmental literature have contributed to the alleviation of the environmental crises by being the voices of the unheard communities and their environments and by creating a platform where literature can be utilized for scientific and educational purposes. More importantly, this project also paves the way for other ecocritical frameworks in the Third World, where it is imperative to heed the call of environmental destruction and degradation.