Author: climaterealityph

Baguio awarded as one of Luzon’s most bike-friendly cities

Post author By climaterealityph
Post date March 16, 2022

azrin Castro, Branch Manager of The Climate Reality Philippines presented the bronze award to Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong as one of the most bicycle-friendly cities in Luzon last March 14, 2022. Convenors of Mobility Awards met with local government officials of Baguio City to present them with the award as one of the most bicycle-friendly cities in the Luzon region in Mobility Awards 2021 last March 14, 2022. (c) JJ Landingin/ICSC

Baguio awarded as one of Luzon’s most bike-friendly cities

March 16, 2022

Baguio City – Mayor Benjamin Magalong received for the City of Pines the distinguished recognition of the Mobility Awards as one of the most bicycle-friendly cities in the Luzon region in 2021.

Mayor Magalong expressed his gratitude to the organizers for their visit, saying the city will strive to prioritize pedestrians and cyclists as it advances the city’s “shared roads” concept along with establishing more bike lanes. “Baguio will go for gold,” Magalong pledged during the turnover ceremony at Baguio City Hall last Monday.

“We challenge Baguio City’s government, its businesses and citizens to further elevate cycling and active mobility as priority initiatives of this great city. You now have the momentum and we would not be surprised to see you as gold awardees in the near future,” said Celine Tabinga, national convenor of the Mobility Awards.

Joining Tabinga in the ceremony were representatives from Mobility Awards co-organizers: The Climate Reality Project Philippines branch manager Nazrin Castro, communications officer Kristine Galang, Luzon coordinator Aimee Oliveros, and youth cluster representative Keith Sigfred; Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC) lead climate policy analyst Danica Supnet; and regional partners Joebel Gurang of Daily Cycle Movement Baguio (DCMB) and Djiennivi Orsal of Team Next Generation (TNG) – WAEWA Baguio Cycling Team.

Baguio’s city engineering office proposed the “shared roads” concept in July 2021, an initiative to put up more bike lanes in the city, allowing residents to cycle safely alongside motor vehicles. The proposal was released in response to the massive and still worsening traffic congestion in the city. The number of private and public vehicles currently at 57,000, based on 2019 data from the mayor’s office, continues to increase. The Magalong administration allocated PHP 18 million to set up bike lanes in four major roads in Baguio under the shared roads initiative.

In November 2021, the Mobility Awards announced the winners of its nationwide leg, with Baguio City receiving the bronze rank and emerging as one of the most bicycle-friendly cities in Luzon alongside Naga City, which ranked silver.

Baguio locals Valerie De Guzman and Vince Dangiapo were recognized as Padyak Champions in the awards for their outstanding work as cycling couriers. Valerie De Guzman founded Valerides, a delivery service provider supporting local farmers and small entrepreneurs in the city, which helped her bag first place in the category.

In celebration of International Women’s Month this March, De Guzman hopes to inspire fellow women, particularly in the field of entrepreneurship, to excel and not limit themselves to the biased expectations of society.

“Ang lagi ko namang iniisip, maging inspirasyon sa ibang mga riders at sa ibang tao, na kaya talaga ng babae. Na-aapply ko ito sa Valerides, yung daily challenges ko is of course ‘yung pagbubuhat at paglalagay ng 10 to 15 kilos na packages doon sa bike. I feel empowered talaga every time na may dala akong package sa bike and then nakikita ako ng ibang tao along the way. Nakikita nila na kaya ng babae, (I always wanted to inspire other riders and other people, and let them know that women can do anything. I was able to apply this in Valerides, where my daily challenge is to lift and board on my bike packages weighing around 10 to 15 kilos. I really feel empowered every time I have a package to deliver and that people can see me along the way. They can see that women are capable),” she said.

De Guzman added that Baguio is a safe haven for women-bikers-turned-entrepreneurs, expressing hope the city can also serve as an example for other LGUs. “Wala naman akong na-experience along the way na discrimination and hindi naman ako nagi-gitgit dito since one of the friendliest bike cities ang Baguio, (I have not experienced any form of discrimination so far, I do not recall as well any issues in road sharing since Baguio is truly one of the friendliest cities for cycling),” she said.

Padyak Champion second placer Vince Dangiapo, owner of 7DA Errands by Bicycle, underscored the need for initiatives like the Mobility Awards to promote the shift to cycling not just as a hobby but as part of everyday life.

“We have shown everyone that anything is possible through hard work, innovation, dedication, and resilience. We have shown that bicycles are not only for sport and recreation, but also a perfect alternative for mobility and transportation,” he said in a Facebook post after receiving the award.

De Guzman and Dangiapo also received gifts such as Harley masks and a buri basket pannier from individual supporters.

The awarding ceremony is a jumpoff point as award organizers visit more awardees, including Iloilo City and Mandaue City in the Visayas region, and Davao City and Gingoog City in Mindanao.

The Mobility Awards is organized by ICSC, The Climate Reality Project Philippines, MNL Moves, 350.org Pilipinas, and the Pinay Bike Commuter Community, in partnership with the League of Cities Philippines and 27 regional partners – including DCMB and TNG-WAEWA Baguio Cycling Team – across the country. For more information, visit mobilityawards.ph.

***

FEATURE PHOTO: Nazrin Castro, Branch Manager of The Climate Reality Philippines presented the bronze award to Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong as one of the most bicycle-friendly cities in Luzon last March 14, 2022. Convenors of Mobility Awards met with local government officials of Baguio City to present them with the award as one of the most bicycle-friendly cities in the Luzon region in Mobility Awards 2021 last March 14, 2022. (c) JJ Landingin/ICSC

This press release was originally published on the Mobility Awards’ website.

bike-friendly city, Mobility Awards, sustainable energy and mobility, sustainable transport

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Tags bike-friendly city, Mobility Awards, sustainable energy and mobility, sustainable transport

Eleventh Hour at the Manila Bulletin

Eleventh Hour: Equitable and just transition is the only path toward climate-resilient development

Post author By climaterealityph
Post date March 11, 2022

Eleventh Hour: Equitable and just transition is the only path toward climate-resilient development

By Marianna Vargas-Morada

March 11, 2022

As we have seen with the Covid-19 pandemic, varying levels of coping capacity determine the overall wellbeing of societies, populations, and sectors that are better equipped to manage such systemic disruptions. More vulnerable systems face threats of near-total collapse or are left severely crippled.

In the recently released Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Working Group 2 (WG2) Sixth Assessment Report (AR6), one implicit message is clear: Further delays in climate action toward keeping warming well below the 1.5˚C will only exacerbate existing inequalities and disproportionate vulnerabilities. Climate change is unequivocally a threat to human wellbeing and the health of the planet, but certain regions and sectors will feel the brunt of its impacts more intensely, thereby undermining any development gains these areas make in the near and long term.

A key feature of the report moves beyond describing climate risks toward a more solutions-based framework of climate-resilient development. It highlights the interdependence of climate, ecosystems, and human systems, and how their interactions must be factored into decision-making for any meaningful adaptation to take place. The report states that “these interactions form the basis of emerging risks from climate change, ecosystem degradation, and biodiversity loss, at the same time, offer opportunities for the future.”

Disregarding such interdependencies run the risk of maladaptation, which the report states there is increasing evidence of across many sectors and regions since the release of the Fifth Assessment Report in 2014. Maladaptation could potentially lock in vulnerability, exposure, and risks that are difficult and costly to reverse, as well as exacerbate existing inequalities.

The report also highlights the increasing complexity of risks and the growing challenges to manage them as we inch closer toward the 1.5˚C threshold. As we are already witnessing in the Philippines and various parts of the world, multiple hazards can and will occur simultaneously.

Both climatic and non-climatic risks can interact, such as the case when Typhoons Rolly and Odette slammed into parts of the country during the pandemic, compounding the risks of a health crisis. Unless we make the necessary investments today, this multiplicity of risks associated with climate change will only further increase the losses and damages we are already experiencing and drive adaptation costs.

While the report notes progress in adaptation planning and implementation across sectors and regions, it also underscores how some ecosystems have already reached their hard and soft limits. Hard limits, meaning no amount of adaptive intervention (perhaps besides drastic emissions reductions) will make a difference, are already evident in ecosystems like coral reefs where we are reaching irreversible turning points. Soft limits, which can be overcome by addressing a range of constraints such as financial, governance, institutional, or policy, could also still lead to irreversible changes if not acted upon with urgency, as could be the case for areas affected by sea-level rise.

With the impacts on different ecosystems varying from region to region, what is clear in the report is that there will be significant implications on our food and water systems, as well as on human health, especially in areas where heat-related diseases and illnesses are already prevalent.

Aside from these sectors, there is also significance placed on cities as both hotspots for risks, as well as opportunities for not just mitigation but also adaptation. With much of the global population rapidly moving toward urban areas, cities play a crucial role in ensuring equitable and just climate resilience.

The window for action is quickly narrowing and we have already missed opportunities for higher climate-resilient development. The sustainable development decisions we make moving forward must be the result of holistic and inclusive action by the government, private sector, and civil society actors, as well as indigenous peoples and other marginalized stakeholders. Climate risks, vulnerabilities, and adaptation measures need to be factored into decision-making across all levels of governance to ensure that the pathways we take do not only lead to achieving climate-resilient development but also climate justice.

You may find more information on the findings of the report and its implications on the Philippines in the OML Center’s IPCC AR6 WG2 Philippines Highlights.

***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Marianna Vargas-Morada is a Climate Reality Leader and the Partnership Manager of Oscar M. Lopez (OML) Center, a climate change research foundation based in the Philippines, focusing primarily on enhancing local climate science and adaptation solutions. Her work involves identifying and engaging strategic partners to expand the reach and impact of OML Center’s work and designing opportunities for the Center to participate in strategic networks.

ABOUT ELEVENTH HOUR

This article was originally published on The Climate Reality Project Philippines’ weekly column for the Manila Bulletin called Eleventh Hour.

This column serves a digital space to discuss our organization’s work on supporting the country’s just transition into a clean, affordable, and self-sufficient energy system; advancing sustainable urban mobility to highlight the issues of equity and democracy; and raising public awareness about the need to phase out single-use plastics. It also serves as a platform for Pinoy Climate Reality Leaders to share your stories, promote your climate initiatives, and provide critical insights to issues that matter to climate action, environmental protection, and sustainable development.

climate science, climate-resilient development, IPCC

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Press Releases

Youth activism and the arts as catalysts for climate action

Post author By climaterealityph
Post date March 4, 2022
2 Comments on Youth activism and the arts as catalysts for climate action

Youth activism and the arts as catalysts for climate action

March 4, 2022

Quezon City – Youth activism and the arts could be a potent combination for driving climate action in our communities, emerging Filipino activists and artists said during the 24th episode of The Climate Reality Project Philippines Klimatotohanan webcast series entitled “Never Too Young to Lead: Emerging Pinoy Artists Reimagining Climate Action.”

In celebration of the National Arts Month last February, the episode featured stories of young climate and environmental activists who are elevating climate discourse and driving climate actions through the arts.

“Art can make a difference,” architect and visual artist Riel Amadeus Diala said as he emphasized the role of the arts in engaging the public with new perspectives and solutions on climate change.

Diala became a Climate Reality Leader in 2020, which sparked his passion to make climate discourses more accessible and comprehensible for the public. Since then, he has regularly created artworks for Climate Reality Philippines’ ClimArtivism—a space for Climate Reality Leaders to share their visual, literary, performance pieces, and other inspiring climate-related creations.

Youth Advocates for Climate Action Philippines (YACAP) Convenor Mitzi Jonelle Tan agreed with Diala, adding that art can depict the difficulties of the world and likewise help people picture a better reality for everyone.

Tan shared that she became a full-time climate justice activist when she realized that humanity must do everything and use anything to save the planet. She added that the arts is one of the best ways to communicate the tangling climate issues that affect society.

Art as a vehicle for climate activism

In the Philippines, activism has been tainted with fear and violence while climate change has been often associated only with technical and scientific information.

“We have to show the young people that activism is not dangerous. You can do fun things [with activism] through art, ” Tan said, explaining how she utilized arts to raise climate awareness at different levels.

Tan convened YACAP in 2019 to lead protests against global climate inaction. The youth alliance immerses in urban communities to capture how people see the interplay between the climate crisis and their daily routines and translates scientific information on climate change into empowering and relatable materials, such as comics.

Sparking curiosity through the arts

“Through art, I want to give a visual of important species that are soon to be forgotten because they aren’t really taught in schools,” multidisciplinary visual artist Anina Rubio said as she explains the importance of biodiversity protection. “Not only you can use art to promote conservation, but you can also use art to educate,” she added.

Rubio, in partnership with My Little Smarts, released a playing card deck as an educational tool for the young ones to learn about the different endemic and native species—mostly threatened, critically endangered, and vulnerable—existing in the Philippines. She believed that visual images could spark curiosity from the audience leading them to dig deeper into the state of biodiversity and the environment.

Putting the spotlight on the people most affected by the climate crisis

Documentary filmmaker and photographer Kathleen Lei Limayo, meanwhile, highlighted how photos and videos could reflect the untold stories of the communities most vulnerable to the climate crisis, as she shared her journey of documenting existing problems and non-existing opportunities for indigenous people rooted in the climate crisis

Limayo, who also serves as Asia and Pacific Video Producer of 350.org, emphasized that the way people treat ancestral lands mirrors their vision of the world they wanted to live in. She added that human actions play a crucial role in coursing through the future of humanity.

Harnessing the youth “dividend”

“We’ve seen how young artists inspire revolutions and movements. Having that with climate activism is important because that is the next step,” Tan said as she highlighted the need to tap the creativity of the youth and the power of social media.

“Young people are always creative. Being able to use Tiktok and memes and popular media is the way to reach people,” Tan added.

Rubio echoed Tan’s statement, reminding everyone that the youth are the ones who will inherit the planet. She said that empowering the youth to claim their space in the climate movement builds their sense of accountability and ownership as the stewards of the environment.

***

arts, climartivism, climate activism, youth activism

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Eleventh Hour at the Manila Bulletin

Eleventh Hour: Why is the latest IPCC Assessment Report relevant to Filipinos?

Post author By climaterealityph
Post date March 4, 2022
1 Comment on Eleventh Hour: Why is the latest IPCC Assessment Report relevant to Filipinos?

Eleventh Hour: Why is the latest IPCC Assessment Report relevant to Filipinos?

By Kato Sarmiento, Ayn Torres,

and ViAnn Bagulbagul

March 4, 2022

On Feb. 28, 2022, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released the second of its three-part Sixth Assessment Report (AR6).

The Working Group II (WG2) contribution to the AR6 focuses on Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability as it provides an assessment of the vulnerability of socio-economic and natural systems to climate change, negative and positive consequences of climate change, and options for adaptation.

Established in 1988 by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the IPCC is the international scientific authority on climate change and global warming. With its First Assessment Report released in 1990, it has published scientific assessments on climate change, its impacts and potential future risks, and options for response strategies every six to seven years. Hundreds of scientists and experts from around the world assess thousands of scientific, technical, and socio-economic literatures to produce these reports.

As with previous assessment cycles, the AR6 comprises three Working Group contributions. The Working Group 1 (WG1) contribution, released on Aug. 9, 2021, addresses the most up-to-date physical understanding of the climate system and presents evidence that climate change is widespread, rapid, and intensifying. The Working Group 3 (WG3) contribution, which focuses on Mitigation of Climate Change, will be released in April 2022.

The WG2 report focuses on the risks and impacts of climate change from a worldwide to a regional view of ecosystems (terrestrial, coastal, water, food, agriculture, fisheries, forestry, health) and biodiversity, as well as the implications to humans and societies, cultures, livelihoods, and settlements.

As the report also considers the vulnerabilities, capacities, and limits of the natural world and human societies, it also exhibits adaptation (and mitigation) responses and options across sectors and regions. Similarly, the report discusses the limits to existing adaptation strategies, enabling institutions, and climate-resilient development pathways.

Of the 270 authors of the WG2, three are Filipino scientists—Dr. Rodel D. Lasco (Oscar M. Lopez Center), Dr. Rosa Perez (Manila Observatory), and Dr. Juan Pulhin (University of the Philippines Los Baños). Dr. Lasco is one of the coordinating lead authors of Chapter 5 on Food, Fibre, and other ecosystem products and a drafting author of the IPCC AR6 WG2 Summary for Policymakers. Dr. Pulhin is a lead author of Chapter 10 on Asia while Dr. Perez is also a lead author of Chapter 18 on climate-resilient development pathways.

The information provided by the IPCC reports serves as the basis for key inputs to international negotiations to develop climate policies, including in the recently concluded Conference of the Parties (COP) 26. As one of the most vulnerable countries in the world to the impacts of climate change, it is imperative that the Philippines’ policymakers, local government units, and stakeholders, including the private sector, use these reports as guides in their decision making processes toward science-based climate change adaptation and disaster risk management.

The understanding of global trends and adaptation mechanisms of other highly vulnerable developing countries can also help local climate change actors in relevant sectors situate their current risk profiles and adopt appropriate measures aligned with the mainstreaming strategies of the country’s National Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAP).

The AR6 WG 1 findings indicate that the impacts the country is already experiencing from climate change will worsen. Increased temperatures will exacerbate current climate risks, such as sea-level rise, more intense tropical cyclones, increased rainfall, compounded extreme events, and droughts and heatwaves. With the Philippines having a lower coping capacity to the damaging effects of these impacts, continued conversations by stakeholders will be all the more necessary.

To discuss the highlights of the AR6 WG2 and the findings’ implications to the Philippines, the Filipino WG2 authors were at a Stakeholders’ Briefing on March 3, organized by the Manila Observatory, National Resilience Council (NRC), Oscar M. Lopez Center (OML Center), and the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) Interdisciplinary Studies Center for Integrated Natural Resources and Environment Management (INREM).

The OML Center, together with the Climate Change Commission (CCC), has also been working on providing a localized assessment report with particular focus on the Philippines. First published from 2016 to 2018, the Philippine Climate Change Assessment Report (PhilCCA) provides a synthesis of the state of scientific knowledge on climate change in the country, its impacts, the vulnerabilities of various sectors, and adaptation and mitigation strategies that can be instrumental in shaping policies to help build the resilience of Filipinos.

The second cycle of the PhilCCA, synthesizing the scientific literature published within the last five years, is currently underway.

***

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Kato Sarmiento describes her expertise as communication wrangling for mission-oriented organizations. She is a Climate Reality Leader and currently the communications manager at the Oscar M. Lopez Center where she works with scientists and experts in communicating the relevance, risks, and impacts of the changing climate to Philippine communities.

Ayn Torres heads the knowledge production team of the Oscar M. Lopez Center. Her research experience includes impacts and adaptation to climate change in the Philippines, analysis of economic policy and governance issues in Philippine agriculture and natural resources, and private-sector-led development initiatives in the country.

ViAnn Bagulbagul is also a part of the knowledge production team of the Oscar M. Lopez Center where she works with scientists on studies on climate science and climate change impacts in the Philippines.

ABOUT ELEVENTH HOUR

This article was originally published on The Climate Reality Project Philippines’ weekly column for the Manila Bulletin called Eleventh Hour.

climate change adaptation, climate science, IPCC

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Hisgutanang Klima sa Mindanao

Hisgutanang Klima sa Mindanao: Climate issues and initiatives in the Davao region

Post author By climaterealityph
Post date February 28, 2022
1 Comment on Hisgutanang Klima sa Mindanao: Climate issues and initiatives in the Davao region

Hisgutanang Klima sa Mindanao: Climate issues and initiatives in the Davao region

By Marisol Tuso

February 28, 2022

I would like to thank everyone for the successful launch of my column last month, especially to my fellow Climate Reality Leaders in Mindanao.

For those who are not able to read the first release, this is a space for discussion of the 148 Climate Reality Leaders on the island on their climate stories and initiatives. We will also be featuring meaningful climate action of individuals, organizations, government agencies, local leaders, and private organizations in Mindanao.

This month, I am happy to have met the leaders in the Davao region. The region has 45 leaders coming from different sectors and majority of them belong to the youth sector.

Davao City is one of the Most Bike-Friendly Cities in Mindanao, having won silver in the 2021 Nationwide Mobility Awards. Natoy’s Best Bibingka, also in Davao City, garnered bronze for the Most Bike-Friendly Establishment in the region. These recognitions amplify the efforts of the local government and private sector on sustainable transport, particularly on providing space, facilities, and infrastructure for a bikeable city and establishment.

Davao region, however, is facing climate issues that need to be resolved by enforcing national and local policies and ensuring the cooperation of all sectors in the community.

In Davao City, the local government is targeting to fully implement the “No to Single-Use Plastic Ordinance of 2021,” which regulates the sale, distribution, and use of single-use plastic in the city. Moreover, the city also hopes to attain its goal for low-carbon development as supported in its Local Climate Change Action Plan.

Other climate-related issues in the region include flooding, inefficient waste management, poor coastal resource management, water insecurity, and other environmental degradation such as mining, deforestation, and destructive agriculture practices.

It takes a holistic approach to address these problems that do not only contribute to but also are exacerbated by the climate crisis. Aside from local government units, national government agencies, private sectors, civil society organizations, and communities must also be involved and empowered to act.

It is inspiring to note that Climate Reality Leaders in Davao have, in one way or another, pushed the conversation forward and initiated solutions in their own capacities or through the respective organizations that they work with.

The top Acts of Leadership (AOL) that they have initiated for their communities include sharing climate-related information on social media, participating in events, and performing direct public outreach.

Some of our Climate Reality Leaders in Davao are helping academic institutions finalize their research on disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation. Some have also participated in petition signing for environmental concerns, community service such as coastal clean-up, knowledge and capacity development activities, and volunteering for environmental organizations.

Climate Reality Leader Errol Merquita from Davao City served as a resource speaker during an online discussion, where he presented about climate change adaptation and mitigation. Though Errol finds measuring the impact of the knowledge he shared during the webinar a challenge, he highlighted the need to continue our efforts on climate education. “What is important [is] we do not stop,” he said.

On the other hand, Climate Reality Leader Daphnie Johane Lapiña from Davao de Oro has also continuously shared climate-related stories on her social media accounts. She joined petitions for environmental calls and other community actions. Daphnie said that she will continue to support and conduct activities for the youth sector.

In the next article for this column, we will feature Northern Mindanao and discuss the pressing climate issues and discuss what our Climate Reality Leaders in the region have done so far to help address them.

***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Marisol is the Mindanao Coordinator of The Climate Reality Project Philippines. She has been working in the development sector for 16 years. She is a specialist in training, institution and community development, information, education, and communication (IEC), and gender and social inclusion. Aside from being a broadcast journalist since 1997, she also served as the Project Coordinator of the Global Fund for Malaria Component Project for 10 years and as Training and IEC Specialist of the Philippine Cold Chain Project.

ABOUT HISGUTANANG KLIMA SA MINDANAO

Hisgutanang Klima or “Climate Discussions” is a space that aims to amplify the climate stories and initiatives of the more than 100 Pinoy Climate Reality Leaders in Mindanao.

It is one of the monthly columns launched by The Climate Reality Project Philippines to elevate the climate discourse and strengthen climate action across all regions in the Philippines.

mindanao

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Tags mindanao

Klima Kabisayaan

Klima Kabisayaan: Gugma Para sa Kalibutan (Love for the Planet)

Post author By climaterealityph
Post date February 28, 2022

Klima Kabisayaan: Gugma Para sa Kalibutan (Love for the Planet)

By Paula Bernasor

February 28, 2022

Basta umaabot ang Pebrero impossible na dili makahuna-huna ug gugma. Ang gugma dili lalim. Love is never easy. Sama sa atong paghigugma sa atong kalibutan, daghan kita mga challenges na makatubang.

This month, Visayas Climate Reality Leaders were reminded that they are not #ForeverAlone in their climate action. We hosted our First Visayas Regional Hangout entitled “Feb-ibig Party: Hearts for the Planet” last February 17, where we talked about the roses and thorns of being a Climate Reality Leader, got to know the leaders from Western, Central, and Eastern Visayas, and shared our hopes, dreams, and projects for this year.

Falling in love with the planet

Have you ever stopped in awe of a natural landscape? We all experience a feeling of deep awe and love whenever we witness the beauty of the Earth.

What makes a person fall in love with the Earth enough to become a Climate Reality Leader?

“I learned to love what gives me life, what gives me purpose, and what gives me the drive to keep going. Everything around me seems to be like an imperfect piece like I am. There is a need to fix me and fix something which is contributory to my being.”, according to educator and Climate Reality Leader Nancy Mae Omandam.

Indeed, the more we understand the complex science behind it, the more we fall in love and feel a deeper connection.

Showing love

How do Climate Reality Leaders in Visayas show love for our planet? How do they love the Earth?

Let me count some of their ways. There is no act too small or too big for this much-needed green revolution. Just as how love comes in different kinds, Climate Reality Leaders lead different initiatives to show their love for our planet. Here are a few of them:

For Dr. Rebecca Tandug of Aklan, love for the planet means leading a conservation hike initiative for Mt. Madjaas (a biological reserve) to data-mine for eco-tourism sustainable road mapping and lobbying for policy creation by the local government unit and the tourism office.

For Alexander Española of Antique, love for the planet means advocating for sustainability across his business venture—from following sustainable farming practices to working towards the full transition to renewable energy.

For Atty. Nel Ediza of Cebu, love for the planet means actively rebuilding highly climate-vulnerable islands like Olango Island and providing support for the locals.

For Nancy Mae Omandam of Siquijor, love for the planet means integrating environmentalism into the school curriculum—from initiating clean-up drives with student organizations and organizing environment-focused competitions in their high school to overseeing eight days of waste collection in her local barangay and other rounds of collection in eight barangays.

For Fel Caesar Cadiz of Iloilo, love for the planet means advocating and catalyzing sustainable fisheries management through behavior change interventions and integrating climate resilience in the fishing sector.

Falling out of love

Just like romantic love, we can get lost, isolated, and lonely. We end up abusing what is given to us.

Abuse can be in the form of conversion of Cancabato Bay in Tacloban City into a commercial business district, destroying watersheds in Cebu to create residential areas, or illegal fishing within the Tañon Strait. We get too busy, too restless, and too distracted over toxic cycles like overconsumption. We forget our interconnectedness with Earth.

As the wise Thich Nhat Hanh said:

“There’s a revolution that needs to happen and it starts from inside each one of us. We need to wake up and fall in love with Earth. We’ve been homo sapiens for a long time. Now it’s time to become homo conscious. Our love and admiration for the Earth have the power to unite us and remove all boundaries, separation, and discrimination. Centuries of individualism and competition have brought about tremendous destruction and alienation. We need to re-establish true communication–true communion–with ourselves, with the Earth, and with one another, as children of the same mother. We need more than new technology to protect the planet. We need real community and co-operation.”

– THICH NHAT HANH

This is the kind of awareness and awakening we need to secure the planet and our own future. It is up to us to cultivate this and change our way of life to regain a better relationship with the Earth.

When you realize how much of your life is shared with the planet, you’ll be moved to protect her like how you would protect yourself. It’s time to wake up and fall in love again with Earth.

Luckily for us, the Earth is always there for us, offering us everything from food to healing, whether a nourishing grain of rice, a relaxing ocean breeze, or even a simple rain pitter-patter.

Just as the Earth is there for us, The Climate Reality Project Philippines family is here for you. Stay tuned because next month, we are highlighting women leaders in the Visayas.

***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Paula Bernasor is the Visayas Coordinator of The Climate Reality Project Philippines. She is a Climate Reality Philippines Leader and Mentor, Chapter Director for Startup Grind Cebu, and a volunteer for Project Sharklink and Thresher Shark Research and Conservation Project. She previously worked as an Associate for Partnerships for Rare Organisation’s Fish Forever in the Philippines. She started Project Library in the Philippines, a grassroots movement that helps underprivileged communities in remote areas gain access to books and reading materials, as well as Ocean Love Philippines, which uses social media to spread awareness on pressing environmental issues and to promote a sustainable lifestyle and the circular economy.

ABOUT KLIMA KABISAYAAN

Klima Kabisayaan is a space that aims to amplify the climate stories and initiatives of the more than 300 Pinoy Climate Reality Leaders in Visayas.

It is one of the monthly columns launched by The Climate Reality Project Philippines to elevate the climate discourse and strengthen climate action across all regions in the Philippines.

Visayas

Latest News & Stories

04May

Tags Visayas

Baguio awarded as one of Luzon’s most bike-friendly cities

Baguio City – Mayor Benjamin Magalong received for the City of Pines the distinguished recognition of the Mobility Awards as one of the most bicycle-friendly cities in the Luzon region in 2021.

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Eleventh Hour: Equitable and just transition is the only path toward climate-resilient development

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Youth activism and the arts as catalysts for climate action

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Eleventh Hour: Why is the latest IPCC Assessment Report relevant to Filipinos?

On Feb. 28, 2022, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released the second of its three-part Sixth Assessment Report (AR6).

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Hisgutanang Klima sa Mindanao: Climate issues and initiatives in the Davao region

I would like to thank everyone for the successful launch of my column last month, especially to my fellow Climate Reality Leaders in Mindanao.

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Klima Kabisayaan: Gugma Para sa Kalibutan (Love for the Planet)

Basta umaabot ang Pebrero impossible na dili makahuna-huna ug gugma. Ang gugma dili lalim. Love is never easy. Sama sa atong paghigugma sa atong kalibutan, daghan kita mga challenges na makatubang.

As the wise Thich Nhat Hanh said:

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