Media Pickups

Scores of activists took to the streets of the Philippine capital Manila on Tuesday in a bid to raise more awareness about looking after the planet, as documented by an epa-efe photojournalist. Protesters collectively marched behind banners featuring messages like “Stop killing the environment” and “Nature deserves respect,” as well as lit an arrangement of candles on the ground that spelled out the words: “Rights of nature.”

Economic progress and technological innovations may have greatly improved our quality of life, but at a great cost that Mother Nature is paying for. June fifth is World Environment Day, and in line with this, several organizations are coming together to advocate the protection of the environment, and call on the government to take action. Deputy Coordinator of the Philippine Misereor Partnership Incorporated Candy Hidalgo says among the most important issues needed to be tackled is implementing environmental laws. She says the Philippines has among the best environmental laws, but better enforcement of these is lacking.

IPIL, Zamboanga— Days before 2017 Christmas, tropical storm Vinta battered the town of Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay and the rest of the Peninsula, leaving at least a hundred of casualties. Aerial inspection led by Department of Environment and Natural Resources revealed massive agricultural damages and scores of dead people. Witnessing full-blown destruction before her eyes, Fr. Gilbert Gente, pastoral director of the Diocese of Ipil, aggressively called a campaign against illegal logging.

“I apologize for the inadequate Tagalog and the limited Bisaya I knew.” More than that, I ask myself, “How would I sustain a long conversation given my marginality on the dialect?” To think of marginality meant skipping details of the interaction that could diminish the worth of information. But for this particular attempt, when rush came to worse, the warmth of welcome eroded this little apprehension, turning everything into a breeze. “Don’t worry, Tagalog, which is short for taga-ilog, which meant “one who lives by the river,” and we are Subanen, which meant “people of the river,” imply similarities in our origins.” When the conversation rolled on, our two different cultures yielded a lot in common, or so I thought.

THE Catholic Church’s advocacy arm National Secretariat for Social Action (Nassa)/Caritas Philippines and the Philippine Misereor Partnership Inc. (PMPI) have launched its nationwide caravan to call on President Rodrigo Duterte to undertake “proactive stance” against environmental abuses in the country. Dubbed as “Salakyag para sa Sangnilikha 2018,” the event will serve as “pressure point” for Duterte to address environmental issues it is currently facing like illegal logging, large-scale mining, and coal mining activities, among others.

LEGAZPI CITY – In solidarity with the people in upholding the rights of nature, the Philippine Misereor Partnership Incorporated (PMPI) Bicol Cluster headed by the Social Action Center (SAC) of the Diocese of Legazpi in partnership with Bicol Consortium for Development Initiatives, Inc. (BCDI) will welcome the Sama-Samang Sakay, Lakbay at Layag para sa Sangnilikha (SaLakyag) Caravan 2018 on June 3 at the Saint Agnes’ Academy Gymnasium. The SaLakYag Caravan is a nationwide environmental awareness campaign that kicked off on May 28 in Zamboanga City and will culminate on June 05 with a dialogue with President Rodrigo Duterte at the Malacanang Palace.