VERA Files
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s promise to boost local energy sources is anchored on private capital, so the government is courting investors to beef up the country’s natural gas and renewable energy industries amid a looming energy crisis.
The exhibit “When Salvaged Logs Bloom,” which is being held at two sites (Stall 9, Cubao X, General Romulo Ave., Cubao, Quezon City and Green Gate Gallery, Lluch Park, Palao, Iligan City) until March 6, reflects the dual face of nature and humankind: destruction and creation. It is also in parts an indictment of the violent nature of the Duterte Presidency. This fading regime has spawned extra-judicial killings (EJKs) and red-tagging during its brutal war on drugs and insurgency.
Ramon Sta. Ana, 67, could barely talk. Six successive strokes permanently damaged his speech motor, leaving the former barangay captain dependent on interpreters for communication. His sentences are slurred. But whatever voice is left of him, the 67-year-old mangrove caretaker is dedicating it to the protection of the environment.
President Rodrigo Duterte expressed hope “to see concerted efforts in protecting the environment” in his penultimate State of the Nation Address in 2020. A year later, his hope remains a dream as bills on disaster mitigation, administration of Boracay’s rehabilitation, and resource management are stalled in Congress.
Most of the promises related to the protection and preservation of the environment made during President Rodrigo Duterte’s fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) remain in progress. Significant efforts have been put into developing renewable energy sources, rehabilitating Manila Bay and priority tourist destinations, and distributing land to indigenous communities in Boracay.
Residents of Batangas were startled when the Taal, which has been quiet for more than four decades – suddenly rumbled and spewed ashes that enveloped nearby towns and cities, reaching as far as Quezon City and Antipolo.
“President Rodrigo Duterte’s government has ramped up its campaign of ‘red-tagging’ rights activists, including land and environmental defenders, as communist sympathizers, terrorists or supporters of a group of armed insurgents called the New People’s Army (NPA),” said Global Witness
Of the promises President Duterte made during his third State of the Nation Address (SONA) related to the protection and preservation of the environment, he achieved but one – the ban on open-pit mining. Those that pertain to the restoration and rehabilitation of the country’s tourist destinations remain in-progress. Where he failed, however, was to deliver on the laws for land use, and the creation of a disaster agency.
Bats play a crucial role in the survival of a healthy ecosystem through seed dispersal, pollination, biological pest control, medicine, and many more.
Youth group Sigaw ng Kabataan Coalition will plant more trees after planting thousands for PH environment month.