Kamayan para sa Kalikasan

152nd

monthly

session

J O U R N A L

( THE WEBSITE VERSION )

8th Issue.

October 2002

Can’t depend on governments to stand for Nature?

‘Jo-burg Event’: World Summit

woes to be aired at 'K' Forum

Needed: People’s direct action at the grassroots

“WIN SOME, lose some.” This was how some of the Philippine civil society delegates to the World Summit on Sustainable Development recently held in Johannesburg, South Africa, described the results of their steeply-uphill struggle against various powerful influences that gave premium to trade and other economic considerations rather than accord priority on arresting the worsening environmental destruction worldwide. Full Story

Beyond ‘Sus-Dev’

‘Deep Ecology’ cares for Life itself

THE Sustainable Development Framework is a basic minimum dictated by logic and prudence, and top economic planners and all stakeholders in ecosystem stability would do well to take it seriously. But this same paradigm can never suffice for the advocacy of environmental conservation. This consensus was reached in last month's Kamayan para sa Kalikasan session, on Education for “Deep Ecology” and a deep love love for Life.

Full Story

EDITORIAL

BOXED FEATURE:

SPECIAL:

FOOTER QUOTE:

FOTO CAPTION:

Gradual Shifts in Environmental Strategy

'Bancaravan 2002' a victorious first

for marine environment advocacy

Love Life Philippines Campaign Network

The value of life – human life, quality of life of the people, quality of life of the community itself, and the life of the natural environment -- is immeasurable and cannot be assigned a monetary price in making decisions.” –Ugnayang Pamayanan.

‘BANCARAVAN’ IN DAPITAN: CLEAR Founding President Vic O. Milan, a.k.a. “Kalikasan Vigilante” wades ashore with his Bancaravan team in Dapitan City, ending a historic 82-day 3,317-kilometer odyssey for environment advocacy aboard a 32-foot fishing banca. Bancaravan-I brought them to visit with coastal communities from Cagayan to the Zamboanga peninsula. Vic reports right after Kamayan Forum October 19. See special feature on page 2. CLEARfoto

EDITORIAL

Gradual Shifts in Environmental Strategy

PARADIGM SHIFTS have become the order of the day in the way we think and the way we do things. If these shifts had come much earlier we wouldn’t be facing the global environmental crisis that we have now, much less face the prospect of passing on to the next generations a planet in even worse shape than it is in at present.

But at least, paradigm shifts are occurring even if very gradually in the way we are trying to solve the crisis, repair the damage and start afresh. Consider these developments:

There is now a growing consciousness in a fast-increasing number of people that while sustainable development is the basic minimum in the prudent handling of economic development, this is not sufficient for human interaction with nature, which should go beyond possession and utilization. Deep Ecology and harmony with nature imbues everyone with deep love for the Life Force in all living beings, resulting in genuine respect and concern for all of them, and avoiding irresponsible acts.

There is now a very gradual but quite discernible shift in the center of gravity of environmentalist will and action, from the increasingly detached conference rooms of inter-governmental negotiations and top-llevel executive offices fficesoffices ....

of government to municipal halls, barangay councils, civic clubs and neighborhood associations. People now Act Local, based on local wisdom and will!

From the narrowness of range of agencies, organizations actively involved in mainstream environmental efforts, we witness now the Boy Scouts, the Girl Scouts, the cooperatives, and the Academe marching in with their flags to join the green ranks with their own work. All hands on deck!

People’s groups coordinate but no longer wait for government or some other “national entity“ to clarify policies. Partnerships and networks for sharing information, ideas and other resources have started to replace highly centralized mechanisms for planning and action. Side by side with the word “national” the word “nationwide” grows in meaning. No hierarchies, just coordination facilitators. No bureaucracies or ranks, we all work.

This is the paradigm of synergy for the environment. We can’t solve problems with the same paradigms that created them the first place, can we? Let’s welcome and validate the new paradigms.

TOP

FORUM FOCUS

Can’t depend on governments to stand for Nature?

‘Jo-burg Event’: World Summit

woes to be aired at 'K' Forum

Needed: People’s direct action at the grassroots

“WIN SOME, lose some.” This was how some of the Philippine civil society delegates to the World Summit on Sustainable Development recently held in Johannesburg, South Africa, described the results of their steeply-uphill struggle against various powerful influences that gave premium to trade and other economic considerations rather than accord priority on arresting the worsening environmental destruction worldwide.

In a recent meeting at the office of the Kabang Kalikasan ng Pilipinas (KKP, World Wildlife Fund-Philippines), Philippine civil society delegates to the “Jo-burg” Summit, led by Foundation for the Philippine Environment (FPE) Chairman Delfin Ganapin and Ecological Society of the Philippines (ESP) President Antonio Claparols, among others, recalled the preparatory negotiations and the final presentations that witnessed tensions and diplomatic maneuverings among members within and among country delegations. The Philippines was among the very few countries where civil society representatives formally joined government counterparts in the official delegation. Some of the tensions reportedly came from this, as some of the country’s presentations were being altered without the consent or even knowledge of the civil society members of the delegation.

These and other highlights of the World Summit and the Philippine participation in it are set to be shared and discussed at the October 19th session of Kamayan para sa Kalikasan monthly forum. More importantly, there will also be discussions on the implications and projected effects of the Summit agreements on general environmental advocacy in the country and the government’s role in it. The Philippine Agenda 21 document, is the Philippine official response to the resolutions at the World Summit at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1992, is currently undergoing a review process, with civil society organizations actively participating thru the Civil Society Counterpart Council for Sustainable Development (CSCCSD) led by Dr. Ganapin.

Meanwhile, a whole-day forum to discuss the recent World Summit more thoroughly has been set for Monday, October 21, at the Univer-sity Hostel (formerly PCED) at the University of the Philippines in QC.

The Round-Table discussion to address the question “World Summit: Did We Win or Did We Lose?” opens registration at 8 a.m. and officially starts at 9.

Among the speakers slated are Environment and Natural Resources Sec. Heherson Alvarez, National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Deputy Director-General Rafael Lotilla and Asst Director John Rana, Dr. Ganapin, CSCCSD vice chair Elizabeth Roxas and members Patricia Araneta and Cora Claudio, NEDA Asst. Director Joselito Bernardo, and Dr. Ben S. Malayang III.

TOP

FORUM ECHOES

Beyond ‘Sus-Dev’

'Deep Ecology' cares for Life itself

THE Sustainable Development Framework is a basic minimum dictated by logic and prudence, and top economic planners and all stakeholders in ecosystem stability would do well to take it seriously. But this same paradigm can never suffice for the advocacy of environmental conservation. This consensus was reached in last month's Kamayan para sa Kalikasan session, on Education for “Deep Ecology” and a deep love love for Life.

Panel members included Evelyn Quijano, education officer of the Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Commission of the Association of Major Religious Superiors of the Philippines, who gave a biblical basis for a new interpretation of the “Creation” story; Marie Marciano, who was freed from co-moderating this session to represent Sanib-lakas ng Inang Kalikasan (SALIKA), stressing the need to value the life force in its every incarnation; and Rey Cuyugan, president of the Mountaineers for the Environment (MoFE) and Sikap-Bundok. groups. Another guest on the panel was Li Mozo, a community leader from Taguig, Metro Manila, who came with youthful members of the Ibayo, Tipas Barangay Council.

Others who gave personal testimonials on loving life were Josie Bucho of DakiLahi and Franklin Ossorio, a theater artist from Dumaguete City.

It was also during this session of the monthly forum that SanibLakas Foundation started signing up interested volunteers to help in establishing the Love Life Philippines campaign and services network.

This effort was given a big boost the following day when a conference of the mainly-academe-based Lambat-Liwanag Network of Centers for Empowering Paradigms held at the University of Sto. Tomas created a “Task Force for Deep Ecology and Harmony with Nature” and mandated it to help build the Love Life Philippines network. Another big boost came a few days later when leaders of various environment groups, mostly involved with the recent World Summit as delegates or back up teammates of delegates, signed in for it.

There was also some discussion on the memorization-heavy way Biology has been taught in the schools, where students get to dislike the subject instead of finding fascinating and enjoyable this study of life processes within and among the various organisms.

TOP

BOXED FEATURE

‘Bancaravan 2002’ a victorious first

for marine environment advocacy

EIGHTY-TWO DAYS after its July 17 start in Santa Ana, Cagayan, Vic Milan’s Bancaravan Sa Kalikasan landed on the shores of the Rizal Shrine in Dapitan City shortly after high noon of Monday, October 14. It was the ending to a 3,317-km. island-hopping odyssey that had many wondering how a 32-foot outrigger fishing banca could survive waves, wind and tricky monsoon weather.“

We made it,” Milan and his four teammates cried in victory as a local band played and tourism ladies pinned the city’s traditional orchid-garnished tubaos on the environmentalist adventurers.

Milan tearfully embraced each member of his intrepid crew in a wordless but eloquent gesture of gratitude and mutual congratulation. The varied experiences, lessons learned, and memories they had gathered together, Milan said, would last a lifetime.

Zamboanga City had been Bancaravan sa Kalikasan’s originally intended final port of call. Milan decided on Dapitan, also in Zamboanga, on the advice of Philippine Navy officers involved in Operations Sting Ray now guarding the waters between Dipolog and Negros province.

In Milan’s all-Pinoy team are pilot and mechanic Ariel de los Reyes of Palawan; assistant pilot Jose Mojares, Jr. of Zambales; documentary assistants. Jasper Manlapaz of San Fernando, Pampanga, and Eduardo Enriquez of Las Pinas, Metro Manila.

Environmental journalist and sportsman Vic Milan thanked the many people along their route, many of them officials of the DENR, DILG and DOT who provided invaluable assistance, including coordination with coastal communities with whom he exchanged views on environmental and ecotourism issues.

Bancaravan sa Kalikasan also served as “Water Voice Messengers” for Unilever Philippines and as an instrument for the “Bridging Islands” campaign of WG&A Superferry.

“Bad news and good news --- more of bad than good…” is how Milan described his observations on the tate of our marine environment and how fishery laws are enforced.

He plans to tell all, “no more, no less” in a forthcoming book, “for whatever it’s worth, and in the hope that national leaders will care enough to do something, once and for all.”

Bancaravan 2003 is already in the planning stage. To those who still think his journey, on M/B KALIKASAN VIGILANTE, was crazy, he says, “You ain’t seen nothin’ yet.”

TOP.

SPECIAL

SanibLakas Foundation -- in cooperation with the academe-based Lambat-Liwanag Task Force for Deep Ecology and Harmony with Nature, World Environment Day-Philippines Network, SALIKA, UST Social Research Center, CLEAR, Creation Spirituality Center, Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Commission of the AMRSP, and the Asian Social Institute Applied Cosmic Anthropology Program -- is currently forming the…

Love Life Philippines

Campaign & Services Network

a) to undertake a widespread education campaign on loving all living beings, including the Earth itself, our living planet Gaia, as a deep philosophical basis for broadening the commitment of every individual and group, especially in the local communities, to conserve their living home, the Environment; and

b) to provide an increasing variety of organizational, facilitation, coordination and educational services especially to grassroots-based environmental organizations and to the Philippine environment as a whole.

And we need your individual support, in any form you choose, to prepare for getting this off the ground at the soonest possible time.

Please join us by signing in and telling us how to get in touch with you.

LOVE LIFE PHILIPPINES Provisional Secretariat c/o Lambat-Liwanag Task Force for Deep Ecology and Harmony with Nature (Dr. Ernesto R. Gonzales, chairman, tel. 7313535) or e-mail to <ernrgonz@ust.edu.ph>.

Among the early signatories are: Ding Reyes, SanibLakas Foundation and WED-Philippines; Dr. Ernesto Gonzales, UST Social Research Center; Marie Marciano and Manny Perez, SALIKA; Dr. Del Ganapin and Beth Roxas, CSCCSD; Dr. Mina Ramirez, Asian Social Institute; Antonio and Javier Claparols, Ecological Society of the Philippines; Beth Gozun, Earth Day, Fr.. John Leydon, Center for Ecozoic Learning and Living; Fr. Francis Lucas, Catholic Media Network; Neth Daňo, SEARICE; Roy Cabonegro, KKP (WWF-Phils); Fr. Georg Ziselberger and Vicky Corral, Creation Spirituality Center; Sr. Ann Braudis, Maryknoll Baguio; Evelyn Quijano, AMRSP-JPICC; Rey Hilot, FSGPF; Sr. Aida Velasquez, Lingkod Tao Kalikasan; Josie Bucho, Katipunang DakiLahi; Ella Antonio, Maximo T. Kalaw Institute for Sustainable Developent; Sammy Yap, First Asia Institute for Technology and the Humanities; Fr. Nonong Pili, Socio-Pastoral Institute; Obet Verzola, Philippine Greens; Cora Claudio, Asian Institute of Journalism & Communications; Romel Sangalang, Clean & Green Foundation; Dr. Noemi Medina, Lambat-Liwanag; and many more.

THIS ON-LINE EDITION OF KAMAYAN PARA SA KALIKASAN JOURNAL IS PREPARED FOR SALIKA & CLEAR BY SanibLakas CyberServices


	*All are invited.* to the *Kamayan para sa Kalikasan Environmental Forum* held regularly since March 1990 on the 3rd Friday every month, 10 am-2pm at the Kamayan Restaurant along-EDSA, Mandaluyong City. It is convened jointly by the Communicators’ League for Environmental Action and Restoration (CLEAR) and Sanib-Lakas ng Inang Kalikasan (SALIKA), fully sponsored by *Kamayan*.