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Advocacy Updates | Haring Ibon Issue 40 | Oct.-Dec. 2009

Posted on 4 February, 2010

National Conference Climate Change Adaptation (Albay+2): Moving Forward on the 2007 Albay Declaration
October 26-28, 2009, Diamond Hotel, Roxas Boulevard, Manila
Organizers: Province of Albay

Albay Governor Joey Sarte Salceda organized the first National Conference on Climate Change Adaptation in Legazpi City, Albay last 2007. The conference aimed to raise greater awareness on global issues by providing updates and forecasts on the food, energy and climate security situation as an international concern. The conference was held in partnership with Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, U.K. International Alert, United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, World Food Program (WFP), League of Corporate Foundation in the Philippines and the Congressional Commission on Science Technology and Engineering, and was attended by hundreds of interested parties.

This year, the conference took on more challenges, especially with the onslaught of heightened magnitudes of natural disasters like Pepeng and Ondoy. The conference took three days wherein participants undertook different levels of engagement. Different speakers talked about climate change in the social, economic, scientific and environmental aspect. The first day set the stage and persons from the government, academe and private groups informed participants on what the increasingly popular buzzwords “climate change” and its implications on adaptation was all about. The second day featured best practices of local government units (LGUs), and provided the participants with a deeper and more actualized perception of climate change. The third day provided an avenue for participation in policy dialogue and was held in Malacañang Palace, Manila. This also provided for dialogue for the Philippine Climate Change Act of 2009, which was recently signed into law. 

Lakad Laban sa Laiban
November 4-11, 2009, Infanta to Manila
Organizers: Save Sierra Madre Network

Solidarity in walking, and the cry “No to Laiban Dam!” was what kept the group going on for days. Originally scheduled to arrive on November 11, the marchers of Lakad Laban sa Laiban Dam arrived earlier, and did not allow the pangs of hunger and fatigue defeat their cause.

Marchers arrived in Manila on Monday, November 9, 2009. The Save Sierra Madre Network (SSMN) led mobilized hundreds of marchers from General Nakar from November 4. It surprisingly took the marchers around nine days to get to Manila. The group stayed in Miriam Environmental Studies Institute (ESI). The marchers have visited several government agencies in protest of the Laiban Dam- Meropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS), Department of Environment & Natural Resources (DENR) and Deparment of Agrarian Reform (DAR) to name a few.

Surigao Forum on “Realizing an Effective Forest Management Devolution to LGUs”
November 26, 2009, Mabua, Tandag City, Surigao del Sur
Organizer: Haribon Foundation

The Local Government Code of 1991 has provided local government units a chance to govern their communities the way they know best. After eighteen years, more challenges have arisen, and the call for environmental devolution has become more apparent. Forest Management Devolution particularly, can potentially utilize devolved LGU functions in two complimentary strategies, that is-through land use planning and direst forestland management.

Realizing this, a forum was convened by Haribon last November 26, which focused on environmental devolution to local government units. Participants of the event were various, which included local government networks such as the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP), Local Government Development Foundation (LOGODEV) and various municipalities of Surigao del Sur.

The forum tackled several issues on devolution concerning the Local Government Code. These included the proposed amendments, the role of devolution in forest management and other prospects for the full devolution of LGUs. The output of the forum was a signed manifesto by the various local government units which endorsed environmental devolution, along with the realization that several measures had to be undertaken in terms of forest restoration.

Haribon champions the ROAD to 2020 initiative, and along with the strong conviction to rally for policy is to also rally and support for the local government’s claim to hectares of land that they can and are able to restore through planting of native species.