By signing this petition, you will help save wildlife habitats and reforestation efforts that are urgently needed to restore the diminishing water supply, to provide sustainable livelihood to surrounding communities, and perhaps most importantly, to guard against catastrophic landslides and flashfloods like those brought by Typhoon Ondoy in 2009 and Ulysses in 2020. Together, let us #SaveMasungi. Petition Short Link: bit.ly/savemasungi

Pagbati mula sa Candelaria, Zambales. Ang Candelaria, Zambales ay isang maliit at tahimik na bayan sa hilagang Zambales. Nang mga nakaraang taon ay nababasag ang katahimikan at kapayapaan sa aming lugar dahil sa pagmimina sa aming kabundukan. Sa karatig bayan ng Sta Cruz kasi ay may apat na malalaking minahan ng nickel, at ang mga latak mula sa mga minahang ito ay umaagos at sumisira sa aming mga ilog, dagat at mga palayan. Pinasara ang mga minahang ito noong 2016 ng DENR sa pangununa ni Gina Lopez dahil sa mga pagsira sa kalikasan (gaya ng pagputol ng mga puno at paninira sa watersheds at walang mga safety measures kaya umaagos ang mga latak sa ilog) ngunit isa-isa silang nakabalik sa operasyong taong 2018-2019. Ngayon po ay higit kaming nangangamba sa Candelaria dahil sa panukalang pagbukas ng minahan at planta ng WestChinamin sa aming bayan. Ang WestChinamin ay may dalawang panukala: una ay magmina ng 3,500,000,000 kilo ng lupa kada taon mula sa aming kabundukan at ikalawa ay magtayo ng planta ng Ferro Nickel na mag proproseso ng mga mininang ore sa Candelaria, Zambales. Karamihan sa mga mamamayan ng Candelaria ay tutol sa panukalang ito ng WestChinamin sa kadahilanang ayaw namin masira ang aming kapaligiran. Ang pangunahing hanapbuhay sa aming bayan ay agrikultura kaya mapeperwisyo ang kabuhayan ng marami kapag natuloy ang panukalang mina at planta ng WestChinamin. Sa katunayan noon Oktubre 2018 ay nagpasa ng resolusyon ang Sanggunian Bayan ng Candelaria na gawing mining free ang Candelaria at ipabasura ang panukala ng WestChinamin na magtayo ng Ferro Nickel Plant. Maliban sa ordinansa, ang mga mamamayan mismo ay lumalagda sa mga petition papers na tumatanggi sa pagmimina sa aming lugar at sa pagtatayo ng planta. Malinaw na ayaw ng nakararami sa Candelaria ang pagmimina sa aming lugar. Sa kasamaang palad, ngayong taon ng 2019, ay muli na namang binubuhay ang panukalang ito. Hindi po kami pumapayag na itayo ang Ferro Nickel Plant. Gagamit sila ng strip contour mining sa pagmimina. Puputulin ang mga puno sa kagubatan upang mahukay at matuklap sa pagmimina ang lupa at aagos ang mga putik sa mga palayan at kabahayan. Mawawalan ang mga magsasaka ng kabuhayan dahil kapag wala nang puno ay mawawala ang tubig, at pwede ring matabunan ng putik mula sa mga minahan ang mga palayan. Magkakaroon ng baha at magiging maalikabok ang paligid. Aagos din ang putik sa dagat at lalayo ang mga isda, mawawalan ng kabuhayan ang mga mangingisda. Ang mga kemikal na gagamitin ng planta gaya ng coal at sulphuric acid ay aagos at magiging sanhi ng pagkasira ng mga ilog at tubig-inumin. Maraming isda at maiilap na hayop ang mawawalan ng tirahan. Mawawalan ng malinis na tubig pang-inom at magkakasakit ang mga tao mula sa mga kemikal. Lumalapit po kami sa inyong tanggapan upang idaing ang mga sumusunod: 1) Mapilit po ang WestChinamin na magmina at itayo ang kanilang Ferro Nickel Plant sa Candelaria. Nagpameeting po ang WestChinamin kasama ang Mayor at mga miyembro ng sangguniang bayang sa bawat barangay ng Candelaria mula noon Okt 9-18 upang ipapanood sa mga mamamayan ang video tungkol sa mina at nagsalita ang mga managers ng WestChinamin. Si Mayor din po ay nagsalita at sinabing mahusay ang plantang ito. Wala pong open forum at di pinayagan ang mga mamamayan na magtanong sa mga taga WestChinamin at sa mga namumuno ng bayan. Sa pagkakaalam po namin ay bawal ito, ang may panukala ng proyekto ang dapat tumatawag ng meeting at hindi dapat i-endorso ng mga nasa gobyerno ang isang proyekto bago pa ito makakuha ng mga permit mula sa DENR. 2) Bago at habang nagpapameeting sa mga barangay ang WesChinamin ay namigay sila sa mga dumalo ng limang kilong bigas, asukal at kape, at iba pang regalo. May pa –raffle pa sila upang mas marami ang dumalo sa kanilang mga pa-meeting. Pinasulat ang pangalan at pinapirma ang mga mamamayan kapalit ng bigas at raffle ticket. Ngayon po ay pinangangambahan ng mga mamamayan na ang pagpirma nila sa attendance sheet ng meeting ay gagamitin ng WestChinamin na pruweba na sang-ayon ang mga mamamayan ng Candelaria sa panukala nila. Isa itong malinaw na panlilinlang sa mga tao. 3) Pinipilit po ng WestChinamin at ng Sangguniang Bayan ang mga Sangguniang Barangay na magpasa ng resolusyon upang iendorso ang proyekto ng WestChinamin. May mga usap-usapang tinakot, pinagbantaan at sinusuhulan ang mga miyembro ng mga Sangguniang Barangay upang i-endorso ang proyekto. 4) May mga konstruksyon na ng mga gusali sa Barangay Taposo, at mga daan sa barangay Sinabacan at Uacon patungong Taposo na gagamitin ng planta sa transportasyon ng kanilang ore. May mga daang tubig ng irigasyon at batis ang kanilang tinabunan upang magawa ang mga daan. Paglabag po ito dahil wala pa pong permit ang planta at sinira nila ang daluyang tubig ng mga sakahan upang itayo ang mga gusali at daan. 5) May illegal mining na nagaganap sa Barangay Uacon, malapit sa Duplac. Matagal na po itong naipag-bigay alam sa DENR at inaantabayanan namin ang resulta ng inyong imbestigasyon. Sana po at samahan ninyo kami sa aming kampanya. Umaasa po kami sa mabilis na aksyon ng mga kinauukulan upang hindi mabigyan ng permit ang Ferro Nickel Plant at tuluyan nang isara ang mga minahan sa Zambales. Follow us on our facebook pages: https://www.facebook.com/Uacon-Mining-Operation-1203562866328111/ https://www.facebook.com/SaveUaconLakeAndMalabonRiver/ #SaveCandelaria #FerroNickelPlant #AntiMining #AntiFNP #NoToFerroNickelPlant

Our community deserves a healthy and peaceful environment. We do not want noise pollution, security and sanitation problems from the Cockpit Arena. Help us send this message to Mayor Wilfredo and hope for his positive response.

Last September, one mahogany and four narra trees in Capitol Site, Cebu were reported cut by personnel from the Department of Public Works and Highways. By the month of October, six trees including an Acacia were cut in Barangay Inoburan. There are still remaining trees that were pending to be cut in Naga City though there is still no exact date as to when this will be completed. This project is in support to government-initiated road widening and also claims that people will benefit more by keeping them safe because it is feared that some of the old trees may fall or becomes a hazard in times of strong typhoons. This statement however runs contrary and ironically with the current worldwide efforts to combat global warming and other environmental concerns. “With the ongoing wholesale removal of this special class of trees, the constitutional and statutory right of the inhabitants of the cities of Cebu, Talisay, Naga and Carcar in the island of Cebu and the inhabitants of all other cities and towns similarly situated in the Philippines are imminently and gravely threatened,” Environmental lawyer Benjamin Cabrido wrote on his petition, which as of this writing, is still waiting to be granted. Our planet is now on a Climate Crisis. Millions of people around the world are suffering because of climate change's impact. Ice are melting, sea levels are rising, forests are on fire, and weather's on extremes. We need to seize the day and take action while we can. You can be part of the solution. Please sign and help spread this petition. (photo credits to Delta Letigio)

It is an insult when the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Undersecretary Jim Sampulna resorted to "legalize" the illegal structures inside the Northern Negros Natural Park (NNNP) when they have decided they can't do anything because the structures are already cemented. By allowing these illegal structures (resorts, businesses, and commercial establishments) to "legally" operate will only disrupt and destroy further the natural ecosystems and rich biodiversity of the protected area. Such a decision will only serve as a precedent for other environmental offenders to do the same in other parts of the country. If DENR were to be serious in their sworn oath to protect the rights of the people to a balanced and healthful ecology, they would stop the increasing illegal structures and penalize these environmental violators who have no location clearances nor business permits in the natural park. The Northern Negros Naturall Park is also home to endemic and endangered species of plants and animals. With the current onset of the Climate Crisis, let us not cause more harm to one of our natural solutions to this rapidly changing climate - our forests.

Our nature is important and it is our duty to protect our nature including our endagered species. While infrastructures can be a sign of development, these should be planned and designed carefully to avoid harming our beloved Mother Earth.

Palawan is an island that has prided itself in being the "World's Best Island", home of the UNESCO heritage sites: Tubbataha Reefs and the Puerto Princesa Subterranean National Park, not to mention its other local human and wildlife inhabitants that have benefited from the clean air, water and land from it being coal-free. Back in 2014, former president Aquino said that Palawan needs adequate energy to cater to the 10 million tourists projected for 2016. “A lot of these tourists will be going to Palawan. I am sure you are aware of all the developments that are happening here plus iyong airport, i-u-upgrade din natin. And all of that plus the upstream and downstream industries will need power. And if it’s not available, then practically we are saying, parang wala na rin iyong tourism na big industry dito or iyong growth, or projected growth." (see https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/606179/aquino-not-keen-on-coal-free-palawan) But growth at what expense? Would locals not prefer a future of clean air, clean water, clean land and thriving wildlife over throngs of tourists promising "growth and development"? And what then would tourists actually keep coming for if the island's health is compromised with an unsustainable coal plant and other unsustainable infrastructure built with a short-sighted goal in mind? But civil society movements and some LGUs have shown that we can resist this from happening. They realize that there's so much at stake, and so much we need to protect. (see https://businessmirror.com.ph/2018/08/05/lgus-going-green-rejecting-coal-projects/) Atty. Grizelda Mayo-Anda, who is one of the lead convenors of the civil society group Save Palawan Movement (SPM) said: “Kapag natayo ‘yan, magsisisihan na tayo sa impact. Ang hirap na nyan matanggal once that is set up. The basis that it is of national significance, with all due respect, is not sound because all they have to do is to look at the Palawan Island Power Development Plan (PIPDP). Coal is not a least cost option. Ang least cost option doon ay combination of mini hydro with diesel and bunker. We have enough power supply”. (see https://palawan-news.com/denr-gives-go-ahead-to-palawan-coal-plant/) Furthermore, the civil society group in Palawan, among others who oppose the building of new coal plants, has claimed that, apart from negating any advances we make in addressing climate change, coal power projects are dangerous to human health as it releases a number of airborne toxins and pollutants, among them mercury, lead, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, and other particulates.

1. It appears that the claim of some PAMB members of the "unanimous endorsement" for the inclusion of 24.9 hectares of NPPNP in the proposed project has not undergone the proper process and has been railroaded to prevent opposition from other members.; 2. The NPPNP is a strictly protected zone under NIPAS (National Integrated Protected Areas System). The inclusion of Northwest Panay Peninsula National Park's 24.9 hectares in the proposed project would surely disturb/destroy various endemic species of plants and animals as the area has a high value of biodiversity. 3. NPPNP is considered as one of Panay island's last remaining legally protected rainforests. Stopping further intrusion of other sectors is necessary for its conservation and protection. 4. Transparency and equal participation and consultation of stakeholders are deemed necessary. The hydropower project may become a "door" for further intrusions inside the protected area, given the fact of other previous threats such as mining, illegal logging, and poaching.

For local fisherman. Climate change

Oceanagold has displaced hundreds of families, many of them indigenous, when the corporation grabbed lands and demolished homes. Many residents were cheated out of receiving just compensation. Environmental defenders have paid with their civil liberties, freedoms, and lives in the course of their struggle against Oceanagold. Thousands of citizens have experienced polluted waters and air, loss of forests, and stunted agriculture because of Oceanagold’s extractive operations. Nine special rapporteurs from the United Nations are currently looking into these violations of the Novo Vizcayano people's rights. It would be the height of injustice if Oceanagold's FTAA is renewed amid the non-resolution of these violations. We urge the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Mines and Geosciences Bureau to decisively cancel Oceanagold's FTAA. ‘No Go!’ to Oceanagold! Cancel Oceanagold’s FTAA now!

1. The Kaliwa Watershed Forest Reserve (KWFR) is home to the indigenous Dumagat-Remontado communities, who have been stewards of their ancestral domain within the Sierra Madre since time immemorial. The Tinipak River spring is a sacred site in Barangay Daraitan, within the Dumagat-Remontado ancestral domain and declared an indigenous community conserved area. Building the 60-meter Kaliwa Dam poses the threat of inundation of portions of Barangay Daraitan and Tinipak River, as well as Infanta in Quezon. 2. Daraitan and Tinipak River provides important economic activities to local communities, from tourism, to non-timber forest products for livelihood. 3. Daraitan and Tinipak River is an ecologically important water system that enhances climate resilience. It provides key ecosystem services to downstream areas, playing an integral role in regulating water flow to the National Capital Region. Forests act as natural water filters. Globally, forested watersheds supply 75% of the world’s accessible freshwater needs. (FAO, 2016) 4. Daraitan and Tinipak River are within the Kaliwa Watershed, home to rich biodiversity and threatened wildlife, including the critically endangered Philippine Eagle. Other important species include the Endangered Northern Philippine Hawk-eagle, the Philippine Brown Deer, the Philippine Warty Pig, the Vulnerable Northern Rufous Hornbill, the Critically Endangered Philippine Eagle, and restricted-range birds of the Luzon Endemic Bird Area. The KWFR was declared a reserve by virtue of Presidential Proclamation (PP) 573 dated June 26, 1969. In April 18, 1977, PP 1636 was also issued declaring Kaliwa Watershed as a National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary. Disrupting natural ecosystems and local livelihoods by building the Kaliwa - NCWSP Dam is not the solution to water security nor sustainable development. Forests have a crucial role in building and strengthening resilience. There is a need to explore other viable alternatives. The most urgent is to protect the critical Kaliwa Watershed Forest Reserve within the Sierra Madre. Save Daraitan and Tinipak River, and the lives and species that depend on these for survival.

GOD made us, humans, to take care of all HE has created. With this kind of event, are we taking care of our only home? Genesis 2:15 NIV The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. During a mass last Palm Sunday, 'Christ, King of the Universe Parish' (https://web.facebook.com/CKUParish/ ) announced that they will conduct a balloon release with wishes this Easter Sunday. All of these balloons, once released, will end up as waste in landfills and other areas which will harm wildlife, marine and terrestrial ecosystems and even clog sewage systems, among others.