Environmental and community groups band together with members of the church, academe, cause-oriented and civil society organizations, to amplify their call for a more robust discussion of environmental agendas in the 2nd PiliPinas Presidential Debates, which will be held at the University of the Philippines-Cebu.
The newly formed coalition, called Concerned Cebuanos for the Environment (Suboanong Nagpakabanasa Kalikupan or CCE) came together to raise environmental issues as an urgent and important cornerstone platform and agenda in the upcoming May elections.
“Cebu has continually pushed for and led the national discourse on environment issues, such as the Supreme Court decision to ban oil and gas explorations in Tañon Strait, the movement for sustainable communities, and the campaign against coal plants and their adverse impacts on health and the environment. It’s high time that politicians, especially our Presidential candidates, hear out and respect the rights of their constituents. They should prioritize a green agenda and ensureimplementation,” said Sister Virgie Ligaray, RVM, of the Association of Women Religious of Cebu.
The coalition also announced a series of activities leading up to the Presidential debate on Sunday. CCE announced that it will circulate a set of questionnaires among the Presidential candidates to know their stance on specific environmental issues in the country.
On Sunday, the coalition will mobilize 3,000 individuals to push for genuine discussions on environmental issues in the debates, where participants will don costumes to highlight both the resources vulnerable to environment degradation and possible solutions for sustainability.
Vince Cinches, Oceans Campaigner for Greenpeace Philippines, added that “the 2016 national elections is an opportunity to reflect on our regard and act for the protection of our common home, including standing up for the integrity of creation and of human rights, which are both endangered in the context of profit-oriented environmental policies.”
Atty. Aron Pedrosa of Sanlakas, one of the convenors of the Green Thumb Coalition, said that “protecting the environment directly translates to social and economic benefits for the nation as a whole, for communities, and for each Filipino, now and for many generations.”
The coalition is part of the bigger Green Thumb Coalition “Pwersa ng 10 Million Boto”, which aims to influence the Presidential debates and public discussions around key environmental issues.