The coastline of Manila Bay stretches along Cavite, Parañaque, Pasay, Manila, Malabon, Navotas up to the provinces of Bulacan, Pampanga and Bataan. It holds a prominent place in glorious stories of the past as it witnessed battles that changed the course of our history. Now, it is facing an environmental war against ecologically destructive dump-and-fill projects, also known as reclamation, which is described by United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization as “an irreversible form of environmental degradation.” Reclamation projects pose grave threats to our natural life support systems as these destroy our mangroves, seagrass beds, wetlands and other marine habitats which are sources of life to humans and non-humans alike. The sites of these projects are vulnerable to ground shaking and liquefaction that raise red flags to people’s safety when earthquake and flooding occur. Dumping and filling of critical marine support systems in Manila Bay are not only violating our environmental laws—these deprive our artisanal fisherfolk of their livelihood and sustenance. We enjoin you to strengthen our efforts to defend and protect our country's natural resources. Stop dump and fill projects that threaten life both in land and sea! Sign this petition and let our voices be heard. Stop reclamation! Save Manila Bay! #BuhayAngManilaBay #ManilaBayIsAlive #StopReclamation #SaveManilaBay

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.

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.

The massive pollution and environmental effects of plastics need to be addressed in ALL the local government units in the Philippines. With our population of over 100M, the everyday use of plastics and styrofoam have led to devastating effects as they accumulate, clog and choke our waterways, cause deadly floodings, kill our marine animals, and pollute our rivers, lakes and seas. Because of these negative effects, hundreds of measures around the world have been taken since 2002— the year when the first national ban on plastic bags was enacted in Bangladesh— to reduce or regulate their use. So many other cities in Metro Manila and towns across the Philippines have progressed towards this movement. However the City of Taguig, still has not done anything and it is already 2019. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phase-out_of_lightweight_plastic_bags) To date, these are the Metro Manila cities with bans or restrictions on plastics: Muntinlupa (Jan. 1, 2011) Las Piñas (Jan. 2, 2012) Pasig (Jan. 1, 2012) Quezon City (Sept. 1, 2012, P2.00 per bag) Pasay (Sept. 1, 2012, Bags for a fee) Makati (June 30, 2013) (https://hubpages.com/politics/List-of-Philippine-Cities-Where-Plastic-Ban-is-Implemented) We call on Mayor Lino Cayetano to address this issue and finally bring Taguig at par with all the other cities and towns that have implemented banning plastics, to play its role in protecting the environment by banning single-use plastics and styrofoam.

Election season can be one of the dirtiest season in the Philippines. Alongside with the dirty politics play and toxicity of people around, it is most especially the dirties for the environment. But this time, we won't let candidates / party-lists get away with them! 1. The campaign materials used, if not all, are mostly plastic-made. If properly disposed and collected, it will end up as waste in landfills (still not totally a good news), and if not, it will end up in other areas which will harm wildlife, marine and terrestrial ecosystems and even clog sewage systems, among others. However, there is another path for these wastes... Should there be groups or individuals that could turn these wastes into useful things, candidates and party-lists must deliver it to them. 2. Undeniably, there are much more campaign materials on public spaces than the assigned posting areas -- Public spaces such as community parks, empty houses and lots, electricity posts, (and even electric wires!) etc. Cleaning it up entails additional work load for our local communities, and a mountain top of wastes! It is not their job to clean up your wastes! 3. Every Filipino has the equal right to a pleasant, healthy, and safe surrounding and living space. And this does not include sight of candidate's face and name at every street! (With the threat of causing floods and what not..) Again, It should not be our responsibility to clean up their campaign materials! It should be theirs! In simplest words, "Mukha Mo, Linis Mo!" #MukhaMoLinisMo

Philippines is suffering from the climate crisis. The youth seeks for the support of the Department of Foreign Affairs to let their story be heard in the International Court of Justice. Such an opinion will assist Philippines, and other countries, in understanding their legal duties regarding climate change impacts. Last year the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change released a special report (http://bit.ly/reportIPCC) stating that global change needs to happen before 2030 if the planet is going to reverse the impacts of climate change. We are hatching a global legal adventure. The 'I am Climate Justice Movement', sparked by the youth of the world wishes for us to be the change that we want to see. First, please make a Pledge (http://bit.ly/ICJMypledge) to take simple steps for personal change. When we have changed inside, we will ask for change outside. We are asking governments around the world, including the Philippines, to support a UN Resolution at the UN General Assembly in September this year triggering an International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion on the duty of States in light of the climate crisis. Such an opinion will assist Philippines, and other countries, in understanding their legal duties regarding climate change impacts. Our first step will be sending a letter (http://bit.ly/DFAletter) to the Department of Foreign Affairs on April 22 asking for their support. On June 5, World Environment Day, we will refile the letter, attached with the signature of the youth from other countries. We will continue to gather support until the UN General Assembly in September! Please join us in our legal fun and support this petition!

A five-year waste audit by the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) estimates the Philippines throws away 163 million sachets everyday. 79% of “branded” plastic waste comes from food packaging, 12% from household and 8% from personal care products. Plastics can remain for 2,000 years or longer in our natural environment. If we continue business as usual, by 2050 there could be more plastic than fish in the sea by weight. Because it is produced from petroleum-based chemicals, it could account for one-fifth of the world’s total oil consumption, further accelerating global warming and deadly climate change. Government policy can be a decisive driving force for widespread transformation. The FDA Philippines safeguards public health by ensuring the safety and efficacy of food, medicine, household and cosmetics products. With the support of key government agencies such as the Environmental Management Bureau and the Department of Trade and Industry, the FDA is in a unique and powerful position to influence and transform the usage of plastic at the source through the thousands of brands it regulates. We envision that the presence of safe, appropriately regulated cosmetics and home care refilling stations that are as accessible as water refilling stations will spark a radical change in the way people and organizations consume goods and manage plastic waste. An Illinois case study showed that a single mobile water refilling station saved the equivalent of 99,000 12-ounce plastic bottles a year. In order for this transformation to take place, we raise the following three opportunities to enhance the implementing rules and regulations of Republic Act No. 9711 - The Food and Drug Administration Act of 2009: FIRST: Instead of classifying refilling activities under “filling”, a manufacturing activity under AO 2016-0003 (Guidelines on the Unified Licensing Requirements and Procedures of the FDA) and Good Manufacturing Practices, we propose that a new, separate classification be developed such as “Refilling/Repacking Stations” within a retail outlet similar to how RONPD (Retail Outlets for Non-Prescription Drugs) were developed. SECOND: To fulfill the FDA requirement of protecting consumers’ health, we propose these Refilling/Repacking Station requirements: 1. Business permit 2. Sanitary permit 3. Products (cosmetics and household) for refilling must be FDA-notified 4. Authorized refilling representative trained and certified by the company to conduct safe and sanitary refilling (patterned after food establishments’ safety compliance officer) and not necessarily a pharmacist or a graduate of an allied science profession. 5. Refilling procedures to ensure the safety of refilling 6. Flat rate fee for the refilling License to Operate similar to government agencies such as Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), and not based on business capital. THIRD: If the packaging to be used is the emptied product bottle, the minimum mandatory information is already in the label. The Batch No. and Expiration Date will be stamped on the label for every refill. If the packaging to be refilled will be different from the emptied product bottle, the existing minimum mandatory requirement should be displayed on the Refilling/Repacking Stations for the consumers’ information. We propose that the following be stamped/stickered on the label for every refill: 1. Product Name 2. Batch No. 3. Expiration Date 4. Special precautions to be observed (if applicable) With this proposal, we seek to bridge the policy gaps and promote a sea change in the way responsible Filipino companies and ordinary citizens use plastics - not just temporary measures, but permanent and lasting policies, structures and systems. We hope to prepare the way for more brands to become better stewards of our earth and of human health. Join our push for safe, sustainable, widely accessible refilling stations of daily household and cosmetics products! Read the full text of the petition at bit.ly/mainstreamrefilling-pdf Signed: Anna Oposa, Co-founder & Executive Director, Save the Philippine Seas Anna Meloto-Wilk, Co-founder & President, Human Nature (Gandang Kalikasan Inc.) Sonia S. Mendoza, Chairman, Mother Earth Foundation Joel Palma, President/CEO, WWF Philippines Abigail Lois P. Aguilar, Campaigner, Greenpeace Southeast Asia-Philippines Dr. AA Yaptinchay, Executive Director, Marine Wildlife Watch of the Philippines Froilan Grate, Executive Director, GAIA Philippines/President, Mother Earth Foundation Sef Alba Carandang, Trustee & Vice President for Community Development, Philippine Reef and Rainforest Conservation Foundation, Inc. Gregg Yan, Founder & Director, Best Alternatives Campaign Angelica Mata, Founder, Zero Waste Filipina Bryan Madera, Founder, Plastic Battle Jennifer Horn, Founder, MUNI Cultural Creatives, Inc. Bryan McClelland, Founder, Bambike (Bamb Ecological Technologies, Inc.) Melissa Yeung-Yap, Founder, Got Heart Foundation, Inc. Jose Dante Albao, Executive Director, Sea Waste Education to Eradicate Plastics Binggirl Clemente, President, LAHAT Community Empowerment, Inc. Rodne Galicha, Country Manager, Climate Reality Project

As the universal law of gravity states, what comes up must go down. Recently, the province of Albay has been growing into the trend of releasing sky lanterns and balloons in special events (such as the most recent one held last February 13, 2019 at Legazpi City Albay). Although the activity could look beautiful for a moment, the mess it leaves can last decades affecting us and the environment around us. Albay is home to hundreds of beautiful creatures and is also declared as a UNESCO biosphere reserve, joining a list of areas around the world that are prime examples of sustainable development and biodiversity, however with our current practices, we could lose this beautiful area to pollution. For more information on the harmful effects of the release of lanterns and balloons, check out (https://www.facebook.com/105848482838036/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1318238384932367) Help us convince our officials to ban the release of sky lanterns and balloons in Albay and save what we (and the other creatures living in Albay) call "home".

Balogo Pasacao Camarines Sur is known as one of the key player of tourism in "the summer capital of camarines sur" Pasacao, knowing that this is a tourist area putting up an oil depot that covers 2.6hctrs of land and a massive port of 800meters that could handle both inter island and international vessels would not only stop the tourism but would also Destruct the marine life, Farmers life, and the crystal clear waters of these beaches.

La Union is under threat: the construction of a 670-megawatt coal-fired power plant (CFPP) is expected to commence this year, in the historic town of Luna, which is known for its natural geophysical and cultural assets of high ecological, livelihood and touristic value. Within the 2 to 30 aerial-kilometer radius of the proposed coal-fired plant are the towns of Balaoan, known for its bountiful corn harvests and biodiverse coral gardens; of San Juan and Bacnotan, the main surfing areas; and of San Gabriel, home to Tangadan Falls (the most popular falls in Northwest Luzon) and Lon-oy Springs (a major water supply source of the City of San Fernando and suburbs). All of these will be degraded and eventually destroyed once the CFPP starts spewing toxic chemicals. Moreover, the water heated by the plant’s cooling system will blanch and damage supersensitive corals within the Darigayos Cove, known for its rich marine ecosystem (the source of livelihood of thousands of fisherfolks) and heritage structures along its white beach. We APPEAL to President Rodrigo Duterte, DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu, DOT Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, Sen. Cynthia Villar (Environment Committee), Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian (Energy Committee), DA Secretary Manny Pinol, Congressman Pablo Ortega, Congresswoman Sandra Eriguel, Governor Francisco Emmanuel Ortega III, Vice Gov. Aureo Nisce, Mayor Victor Marron and Vice Mayor Romeo Resureccion to: 1. Deny GLEDC’s application for an environmental compliance certificate (ECC) including other permits to construct and operate the CFPP. The proponents used deceit, bribery and strong-arm tactics to suppress opposition to their plan and did not fully comply with the required ECC processes as it only consulted residents in the five (5) barangays in and around the proposed 41-hectare site and excluded/ignored other towns and barangays within the plant’s immediate impact area as shown by the NO2 modelling exercise done by its own environmental consultants. Likewise, the Environmental Impact Assessment done by GLEDC’s consultants was also found to be technically deficient and misleading by other technical experts. 2. Pursue an alternative development agenda that is consistent with the Agri-Tourism Development Strategy of the Provincial Government of La Union being espoused by no less than Governor Pacoy Ortega. The proposed site and the nearby Darigayos Cove and Mt Kangisitan can instead be developed as an ecotourism zone linked with other touristic attractions of La Union. 3. Identify and develop renewable energy sources to augment the country’s power supply. As La Union has a very high photovoltaic potential, more solar farms similar to those in Batangas should be built as soon as possible.

MC-SAID is an institution dedicated to the total development of deaf children, providing for equal opportunities for learning. It was founded in 1974 and completely integrated in Miriam College system in 2007. MC-SAID is an important part of the community as it is the only school in the Philippines with complete continuum education from basic to graduate studies for deaf children. It is important as it nurtures them to develop emotional, social and cognitive abilities that are crucial towards their drive for self-actualization and community. The plans to close MC-SAID by 2019 is due to low number of enrollees and seeming lack of funds to sustain operations. Parents are only given a year to look for an alternative school that can cater to the special needs of their children. The abrupt decision to close MC-SAID is prioritizing who gets access to education. It means one is less valuable than the other. It means leaving people behind. We, concerned individuals and alumni of Miriam College, are appealing to the Board of Trustees of Miriam College to reconsider their plans of closing Miriam College - Southeast Asian Institute for the Deaf (MC-SAID) by the end of school year 2018-2019. We further appeal to the Board of Trustees to rethink this closure by extending MC-SAID's operations beyond 2019 and creatively exploring more viable alternatives that will be mutually beneficial for the school and its students. Miriam College should give itself considerable amount of time to find innovative solutions to their existing challenges, looking for better alternative rather than full closure of MC-SAID. Miriam College have been expanding other areas of their academic community. It is within their scope to do the same for MC-SAID. Similarly, they should also provide adequate time for parents and students to consider all possible options for their children. The essence of having a special school for deaf children is that they require special attention. Miriam College should involve them in exploring for more acceptable and reasonable solutions, rather than passive recipients of unfair decisions. The future of the children is at stake, which makes them the biggest stakeholders to the issue. Miriam College is an institution that “commits itself to creating and living within our school community the very changes we seek to realize in society”. One of their core values, Justice, espouses rejection of discrimination of any kind against any individual or any group. We hope Miriam College will stand true to its mission, vision and core values by continuously providing equal opportunities of learning for deaf children. #SaveSAID