It is no doubt that climate change is real and the impact we are seeing now such as the rising of sea levels causing the destruction of human lives, livelihoods, cultures, and ecosystems could go as worse as the disappearance of communities and island states in the next 30-50 years. Since human beings and our locked-in dependence on fossil fuels are the dominant cause of the Earth’s warming atmosphere, we owe ourselves and the next generation an obligation to act and mitigate climate change. Hence, MABIKAs Foundation-The Netherlands joins the environment organizations and institutions based in the Philippines, The Netherlands and all over the world in celebrating the 51st Earth Day. With this year’s global theme, ‘Restore Our Earth’, we call for the urgent need to protect the environment and help mitigate the deadly, widespread negative impacts of climate change.
Though climate change could be argued as mainly the responsibility of industrialized societies, climate change and its adverse effects are, by law, acknowledged as a common concern of humankind (UNFCCC Preamble). In particular, reducing greenhouse gas emissions is a common concern; conservation of biological diversity is a common concern; and mitigating the adverse impact of climate change is a common concern. We, at MABIKAs Foundation, therefore, stand proud with the rest of the Indigenous Peoples (IPs) in the Philippines—Igorot Cordillerans, Lumads, Dumagats, Tumandoks, etc.—in declaring that through our collective efforts to protect our cultural practices of land use, we have also continuously preserved the environment’s diversity and integrity. Sadly though, the environment we are trying to protect for centuries are now under threat by agressive developments in the name of socio-economic progress. We are also pro-development and progress, but what we are deeply concerned about is the continuing attack against fellow IPs and environmentalists in the Philippines. We note the sad fact that globally, the Philippines, our beloved home country, has registered the most number of killed, imprisoned, disappeared, or missing environmentalists since 2019.
It is also with sadness to hear that the recent lifting of the Mining Moratorium has enabled mining firms with expired permits (e.g. OceanaGold) to once again operate and that more than 290 local and foreign mining corporations are welcomed to open mining. In the Philippine Cordillera region, 66% of its 1.8 million hectares land area is up for grabs by mining firms. As the Alyansa Tigil Minas (ATM), an alliance to stop mining, stated, “lifting the moratorium exposes this administration’s support for the mining projects that will impact our water, food supply, forest biodiversity, indigenous peoples communities and fragile island ecosystem”. Similar concern is expressed with the damaging impact of the massive magnetite mining in Cagayan and offshore mining that is covering 5,000 hectares.
Apart from mining, the people and environment is under threat with the permit given to local and foreign hydro corporations to build new dams in the Cordillera, which will cause population displacement, destruction of land, loss of livelihood and degradation of the environment. We recall the December 2020 massacre of nine Tumandoks and illegal arrest of 17 others for their resistance against the Jalaur Dam project; there was such resistance because the dam project could result to the displacement of 17,000 people and submerge 21,000 hectares of ancestral land.
On a positive note, we are happy to see that Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment, Center for Environment Concerns, regional IP organizations like the Cordillera Peoples Alliance, other IP groups such as the Lumads in Mindanao, churches, academics and educators, lawyers, and many civil society organizations are continuously calling for actions towards the preservation and protection of our environment’s integrity and diversity. As we move on in fighting the hazardous climate change on a global level, MABIKAs Foundation will also continue to link up with fellow IP groups, organizations and advocates in the Netherlands and beyond for climate change mitigation and social justice.
To end, we call for us all to…
Restore Our Earth.
Resist Development Aggression.
Stop Attacks on Indigenous Peoples and Environmentalists.
Strengthen Solidarity among Indigenous Peoples and Advocates.
And since there is NO Planet B, together let’s LOVE MOTHER EARTH!
Earth Day is celebrated every year in April by raising public awareness on caring for nature and the environment we live in. MABIKAs Foundation joins in celebration as we share with you 13 practical tips to care for our nature. By doing any or all of these 13 nature care tips, we can all certainly contribute to restoring Earth!
Credits: Earth Day 2021 statement written by Rev. Cesar Taguba & Myra Colis and reviewed by MABIKAs Board. Video created by Aurora Pacio-Pascual. Featured image courtesy of YAPACK.
