Environmental groups marched to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Central Office on 20 July 2017 to urge the government to take actions on neglected environmental policies from President Rodrigo Duterte’s Philippine Development Plan.
The march[1] – dubbed as “Malasakit sa Tao at Kalikasan, Igiit at Ipaglaban! AMMB, NLUA at FRB Ipasa!” – calls for the passage of the National Land Use Act (NLUA), Forest Resource Bill (FRB), and Alternative Minerals Management Bill (AMMB), collectively known as “Green Bills,” which have been pending in the Legislative Houses.
‘Envi-Lady Justice’[2] leading rallyists at the Quezon City Memorial Circle. Photo by Celine Amilhamja.
Read more: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/915675/groups-urge-duterte-to-act-on-neglected-environmental-policies
Prior to the mobilization, the group gathered in an assembly in Quezon City Circle to discuss the current state of the environment vis-à-vis Duterte’s regime policies and its Philippine Development Plan, and to share the status and proposed moves on environment related bills.
Green Thumb Coalition (GTC) presented their Green Scorecard Assessment of Duterte’s first year of administration where they gave the President a score of 18%. The assessment focused on the issues of energy transformation, climate justice, waste, biodiversity, land use, mining, food sovereignty and sustainable agriculture, human rights, and on people-centered sustainable development.
Rep. Teddy Baguilat was also present in the assembly.
This activity was featured in Inquirer.net on 20 July 2017. Read the news here.
On 24 July 2017, the President, during his second State of the Nation Address (SONA), appealed to all legislators to immediately pass NLUA. This is “to ensure the rational and sustainable use of our land and our physical resources, given the competing needs of food security, housing, businesses and environmental conservation,” he states.
Environmentalists and climate justice advocates welcome this pronouncement of the President, but remain critical about the congress and the cabinet members’ responses to the mentioned promises.
Related link: “Duterte’s first year rated by ‘green’ groups” by RealTalk
[1] Headed by the Green Thumb Coalition (GTC), Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM), Center for Energy, Ecology and Development (CEED), Alternative Law Groups (ALG), Philippine Movement for Climate Justice (PMCJ), and Campaign for Land Use Policy Now! (CLUP Now!).
[2] Represented by Marianne Jane Naungayan of the Asian NGO Coalition for Agrarian Reform and Rural Development (ANGOC).
