Climate change and environment in the Philippines

Presentation Paper of GFF and CPA

For the 2nd International Environmental Council
October 8- 9, 2011 Gelsenkirchen, Germany#

https://dp-freunde.de/comm/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Photos-for-GFF.pdf

 

The geographic and geologic setting of the Philippines (part of Pacific Ring of Fire and Earthquake Belt) makes it prone to various hazards such as typhoons, landslides, volcano related, earthquake related, and tsunami.
Never in the last 48 years of record at PAGASA (Phil. Atmospheric Geographic and Satellite Agency) that 3 consecutive super typhoons occurred in a single year and more so in population centers considering an average of 19 to 20 number of typhoons occurring within Philippine Area of responsibility. There is also an increasing trend on the number of strong typhoons and heavy rains. Earthquake occurrences are not dispersed but concentrated along narrow zones. 100-200 felt earthquakes per year. There are 300 volcanoes of which 23 are considered active. Records show that warming has occurred in the country from 1951.

The climate crisis is currently one of the major concerns of all sectors of the society. The country is forecasted to experience increased frequency of tropical cyclones and rising sea levels. The recent tragedies caused by ’super typhoons‘ that have killed thousands of people and the record-breaking temperature extremes in the past ten years are deemed part of the effects of global warming on the Philippines.

These are aggravated by the operations of large scale mining in the country- the liberalization of the mining industry promoted by the national government. Lately, the Benigno Aquino III’s administration pronounced the immediate lifting of the moratorium on the approval and grant of new mining applications. This is expected to attract big foreign mining companies to exploit the Philippine lands. While the Phil President portrays to be pro-people and pro-environment, the influx of mining applications lead to the weakening of social and environmental safeguards, more incentives and tax holidays to foreign investors.

Meanwhile, the giant Lepanto Consolidated Mining Company had continuously terminated more than 800 regular mineworkers and members of the Kilusang Mayo Uno affiliate Lepanto Employees Union leaving only more or less 400 members of the union. It also busted / smashed the Lepanto Security Force Union also an affiliate of the KMU. However, hiring of contractual workers is continuing to replace the retrenched workers. It can be recalled that the mineworkers in Lepanto Mines staged the successful 2003 and 2005 strike for better wages, benefits and better working conditions. The management on the other hand never stopped its bad moves to demonize the progressive and militant workers union.

The impacts of the operation of the large- scale mining to the environment, economic and health conditions of the indigenous communities nearby worsen. Consequently, peoples protests grow and the communities set up barricades against the operations of Indodrill, a sub-contract company of the Far Southeast Gold Resources Inc. and Lepanto Consolidated Mining Company (LCMC).

In relation to these destructive development projects of the government is the intensified human rights violations and militarization to suppress strengthened peoples protests specially in the countrysides. Under the US-Aquino regime Extrajudicial killings has reached to 45 and 5 cases of enforced Disappearance and are continuing. With the release of the Morong 43 in Dec 2010, there are more than 300 political prisoners to include the 17 consultants of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) in the peace negotiations. Oplan Bayanihan is patterned after the past regime’s OPLAN Bantay Laya 1 and 2. A highly condemned counter-insurgency program that makes the members and leaders of these organizations targets for neutralization.

Militarization has heightened in the region. The Armed Forces of the Philippines in the communities use the schools, medical, religious and other public places for military purposes thereby endangering civilians. There is no respect for the people’s safety and security or the sacredness of significant places in communities and cultural practices. Women, children and elderly are not spared.

In the urban and town centers, state terrorism became evident with the lack of tolerance by city-based police for protest rallies and mobilizations and an increase in surveillance and harassment of members and leaders of progressive people’s organizations. No perpetrators are arrested or convicted. There is no delivery of justice.

Communities and organizations have taken up the challenge in continuing the resistance against State terrorism and holding the Aquino government accountable for its human rights violations.

Such arrogance to speak of owning the land.How can you own that which will outlive you?

Land is life, What is the most precious thing to man? Life. If life is threatened, what ought a man do? Resist. This he must do, otherwise he is dishonored and that is worse than death.”

-Macliing Dulag, Kalinga pangat (elder and leader of the Butbut tribe from Kalinga, Cordillera, Philippines who was slain by State military forces on April 24, 1980 because of his leadership in the successful opposition to the World-Bank funded Chico Dams.

These are the words of the Cordillera martyr Macliing Dulag that sharply articulate the militant tradition of indigenous peoples’ worldview and struggle for land, Mother Earth and life. Integral in the historic Cordillera peoples’ struggle for the defense of land, life and resources is the battle against global warming and climate change in essence.

The world is currently caught in the debate on climate change and its alarming impacts, and mitigation and adaptation strategies have been forwarded. Climate change is a big environmental concern yet there is still a need to elevate the issue of climate change beyond the bounds of environmental issues. It must be understood that in this issue, there are exploiters and there are victims. It must be understood that there is disproportionate vulnerability of the majority and certain populations to the adverse impacts of climate change, of which indigenous peoples are very much included.

The climate crisis is best understood by acknowledging its systemic root causes and the accountability of the world capitalist system driven by the few global elite and imperialist countries and the globally dominated capitalist production and exploitation of the world’s environment and resources. Imperialist and advance capitalist countries have imposed neo-liberal policies in advancing their imperialist agenda and plunder especially in underdeveloped countries, leading to the destruction of the world’s resources for their profit and greed. This greed for profit is responsible for the operation of large-scale extractive industries which is responsible for the large-scale emission of greenhouse gases in some countries like the Philippines, India, Papua New Guinea and Indonesia, to name a few.

To indigenous peoples, land is life and must thus be nourished, nurtured and defended. Capitalists on the other hand treat land as a commodity for profit, and nothing else. If the best environmentalists and defenders of the Earth should be named, these are the indigenous peoples as proven by their time-tested practice of sustainable living and culture.

Meanwhile, peoples’ social movements are being waged worldwide tackling the root causes of climate change. The world capitalist system and its development model are now widely being criticized for its role in the worsening climate crisis. Indigenous peoples have contributed to this endeavor by holding summits at the regional and global levels, and articulating their position through statements demanding that indigenous peoples rights be recognized in the official climate change negotiations.

Cordillera Peoples Movement in addressing the Climate Crisis

The Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA) is an awardee in the organization category of the Center for

Environmental Concerns (CEC)- Philippines’ Gawad Bayani ng Kalikasan: Parangal sa Magiting na Pakikibaka para sa Kalikasan at Karapatan ( award for “ ordinary individuals and organizations that have selflessly spearheaded environmental struggles and protection of basic rights. )

 

The CPA is recognized as a “model and source of inspiration locally and in the international indigenous peoples’ movement for its consistent and persistent advancement of indigenous peoples’ rights linked with defense, nurture and management of the ancestral domain and resources for `welfare of present and future generations.”
Since its establishment in 1984, CPA’s unwavering pro-people stand on national patrimony and environmental nurture can be seen in its Defense of Land, Life and Resources campaign, which highlights indigenous peoples’ inherent relationship with the environment.

Highlight campaigns include the successful opposition to the Chico Dams and the logging operations of the Cellophil Resources Corporation in the early 1980s. To date, the Chico River flows freely, and villages remain vigilant over new attempts to dam the mighty river.

On the other hand, Japanese funded San Roque Dam campaign generated awareness from local to international arena on the social and environmental destruction caused by mega dams.

In the 1990’s, CPA led and supported the campaign against the open pit mines in Itogon, Benguet which led to the closure of Benguet Corporation’s open pit mines.

• Another focused campaign against large mining was with the Save the Abra river Movement (STARM) which exposed the destruction caused by the Lepanto Consolidated Mining Company (LCMCo) to the Abra River ecosystem, and on the health and livelihood of villages living along it. The results of this campaign generated broad support from the church, academe, students and widespread coverage in the media at the local, national and international levels.

• CPA and the Center for Development Programs in the Cordillera (CDPC), its NGO partner, also embarked on a joint advocacy program on the Cordillera Environment and Climate Change, starting in 2008. To help improve marginalized peoples’ welfare and living conditions, ran program projects:

• People’s Marketing Center (1985-1992)

• water powered rice pounder – a model appropriate technology , a breakthrough project with member organizations, showing that electricity in far-flung villages can be generated even without mega-dams

• Integrated Area Development Project in the 1990s which envisions comprehensive development of agro-forestry, handicrafts, small-scale mining, basic infrastructure, education, health and other basic social services, nurture and development of traditional knowledge, organic fertilizers/ pesticides, synchronized agriculture/other development strategies,
• Advocacy on Environment, eco systems and biodiversity, people and human rights based development.
• Continuing programs of sustainable agriculture, food security to raise and diversify food production and promote organic farming, appropriate technology in support of agriculture and food processing, and disaster response and readiness.

 

These campaigns and linkages generated broad international support. Among these to mention are:

• International Mining Conference (2008 Germany) – link among mineworkers specifically Lepanto Employees Union-NAFLU-KMU to the struggle of workers in Germany.

• James Balao Campaign- Has joint partnership of CPA with the Monday Demonstration and GFF. Lately are sending of postcards (Surface James Balao) to the Office of the President of the Philippines and major protests actions simultaneously held in commemoration of the Sept 17 anniversary of JBs abduction. Along the few years of partnership, it has grown into a wider support for all victims of human rights violations in the Cordillera. Further, it gained participation and support from friends and organizations in Asia, Europe, US and Latin America.

• Exchange program and visits of GFF-Kapatiran – strengthening solidarity partnership with the workers and indigenous peoples. Political and material support on peoples issues is determined

• Serve the People Brigade- a disaster response of the CPA member organizations and its network. Concrete experiences during the typhoon Ondoy and typhoon Pepeng that cost many lives and properties.

 

 

Gains for the Cordillera peoples

CPA contributed to the integrated struggle for the environment and genuine development, people’s rights and national patrimony for people’s welfare. Destructive mega dams and large scale mining projects were stopped. Its organizing and campaigns empowered communities and sectors to act on their own issues and achieve results, even at much sacrifice including martyrdom of some of its leaders.

While we welcome mitigation and adaptation measures on climate change, these do not seriously address the root causes of the climate crisis and only serves as temporary relief. Mitigation and adaptation strategies would mean an overhaul of the world capitalist system and a stop to the imposition of neo-liberal policies in underdeveloped countries. We must take note that economic and material growth are limited to the Earth’s endowed resources that must be respected.

Past experience has shown that no monetary compensation nor livelihood project could replace or surpass the destroyed ancestral land and traditional livelihoods of affected indigenous peoples. The solution to restoring the living quality and to stop the permanent destruction of the environment is to stop destructive large-scale corporate mining and decommission unviable tailings dams and megadams.

Continuing destructive exploitation of natural resources and the environment, as well as disintegration of indigenous knowledge thus undermining the socio-cultural and resource base – economic foundations of a self reliant economy ; and which also makes the Cordillera more vulnerable to natural and other disasters.

National legislation and policy on the liberalization of mining and the energy industry need to be reviewed and revised as these have proven detrimental to indigenous peoples in different parts of the country. A new mining policy should support the Filipino people’s efforts towards nationalist industrialization and ensure the creation of jobs, food security, a stable economy, mitigation of environmental degradation, and environmental rehabilitation.

Thus, people’s struggles and movements must be strengthened and must mobilize in their greatest number to put a stop to the capitalist and imperialist activities that worsen climate change. The people themselves can chart their own solutions in overhauling the profit-driven world capitalist system for humanity’s survival, which depends on the Earth’s survival. States and all international financial institutions and international bodies must stop implementing and supporting policies, projects and any other undertaking what is environmentally destructive and worsens global warming and climate change.

The international community should develop minimum standards for the protection of the environment and human rights that are binding on all countries and companies, based on the highest existing standards, and with effective monitoring and sanctions imposed on the offending parties, be it the national government, funding institutions, or the companies.

Some Related Video productions / documentations of experiences available–

• Let the Agno River Flow – The documentary delves on the importance of the Agno River to the people of Itogon, Benguet and Pangasinan and how the San Roque Dam Project will take away the right to land and livelihood of the people. The people’s struggle against the government flagship project rages despite the impoundment of water in the dam.

• Toxic Gold –  presents the effects and impacts of Lepanto Consolidated Mining Corporation’s bulk mining operations to the Abra River and the indigenous and peasant communities by the river. Apart from the environmental, social and agricultural impacts, the documentary presents the plight of Lepanto’s underground mine workers.

• Filipino Taxi- the story of a roadtrip through the Cordillera, a mountain region in the North of the Philippines. From the summer capital Baguio to the province of Kalinga, the taxi passes by slums, schools and mining companies, mountain villages and military camps. Corruption is everywhere. More than a thousand people were the victim of political assassination under the regime of president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Hundreds of others disappeared. And still the Filipino’s have the courage to go on.

• Tempered by the Strike – struggle of the Lepanto mine workers and their families for better wages , benefits and working conditions.
• Muyong:

Traditional Forest – how indigenous people in Ifugao, Philippines adapt and mitigate climate change using their traditional knowledge

Save the Environment – a 3minute video on climate change and solutions