EVERYTHING ON EARTH HAS A PURPOSE
Written by: Sunshine Belizar
The most hated month of the year is June because of the falling mangoes. When I am cleaning our backyard, I’m irritated by the mango leaves that are falling, even the fruit. Mango trees produce fruit, which is good; however, when the fruit falls from the tree, it can create a mess in our yard. The fallen fruit can be rotten and attract undesirable pests, such as rats and insects.
Having a mango tree in our backyard means it be difficult to maintain. Mango trees can also destroy infrastructure if they're too close to your house or any other buildings. It can also destroy the lines of electricity that are passing through the branches and leaves. In addition, the tree can drop fruits or branches onto the house, which can cause damage to the roof or other parts of the structure.
However, along with the disadvantages, there are always advantages. According to the study of Atienza (2021) that the local mango leaf extracts found as potential anti-aging, skin-whitening cosmetic ingredient. The research team studied the presence of polyphenolic compounds in the local mango leaves. It also looked into the local mango leaves’ antioxidant capacity and inhibitory effect against elastase and tyrosinase, enzymes that cause aging and darkening of skin. "Previous studies on foreign mango cultivars reveal that mango leaves are excellent source of polyphenolic compounds, which provides health benefits such as antioxidation, antidiabetic, anti-cancer, and anti-inflammatory properties, among others," the DOST- Science and Technology Information Institute (DOST-STII).
With those citations, given the nature of life, we are unable to stop time. Even individuals of color, especially those with dark skin, are more likely to experience prejudice, neglect, and even discrimination by society here in the Philippines. Lighter skin is more respected than those who have dark skin. Because of the norms, people with dark skin are even using products like soaps and cosmetics to make them light skinned. They tend to use money only to be accepted by society. In life, don’t always look at the downside from a negative perspective; always think positively. Everything here on earth has a purpose, even if we hate that it exists. We cannot change it because it is already here on earth. I don’t expect that mango leaves can be helpful to people, especially to our skin. Likewise, I hated the mango tree because it was hard to maintain and messy. But it gives us benefits like food, shelter, medicine, and many more. My teacher once said that everything that we see today has its purpose here on earth; if one perspective, one thing, or even animals or human beings are extinct here on earth, the function of the earth will not function that way before. Overall, I appreciate what we see today, and when the time comes that we go extinct, at least we experienced what was before.
Reference: https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/07/local-mango-leaf-extracts-found-as-potential-anti-aging-skin-whitening-cosmetic-ingredient-study/?fbclid=IwAR2h0-X1ZRzCSjTSD0t0mv3H-eCbIw_o3fdy78AFmak1wZ2DQbzaQP-ekzY
