Groups urge Aquino

GLOBAL WARNING

TO ‘green the MTPDP’ in an open letter
Dear President Aquino:

It is our interest to support your administration in its pursuit for reforms particularly in light of your social contract with the Filipino people. We see the utmost importance of a well-crafted Medium Term Philippine Development Plan (MTPDP 2011-2016) in clearly defining the directions and the blueprint for our country’s growth and development under your term.

Our concern is the ever-increasing vulnerability of our country to climate change even as we are already experiencing its ill effects. Any plan for the country’s growth and development will unfortunately be an exercise in futility IF it does not integrate concerted, extraordinary and urgent actions on climate change adaptation and on our strategic transformation to a low-carbon economy. Together we must insist to “green” the MTPDP, to make the MTPDP climate change responsive.

As the current MTPDP draft now stands, we feel there is still much space for improvement particularly in the following arenas: a) food self sufficiency based on sustainable, ecological and organic agriculture; b) disaster risk reduction & management; c) improved ecosystem, soil and water management; and, d) sustainable, off grid, decentralized, community based, efficient and new renewable energy systems. Plans and programs around these will ensure that growth and poverty reduction strategies contained in the MTPDP are not just climate change-responsive but sustainable as well.

Looking at the situation we face today, it is apparent that the previous MTPDP did not go far enough. In its relentless pursuit of growth, it failed to recognize the already over stretched carrying capacity of our environment and natural resources. More than anything, it failed to consider that the environment is the social security system of the poor, and without environment sustainability, millions of Filipinos would be denied the opportunity for sustainable growth. As a result, poverty has not been curbed, food security has not been achieved, and our national vulnerability to climate change has increased. Clearly, the last decade was a lost decade for environment sustainability and sustainable development and more could have been done towards this end. This situation must be reversed.

We humbly urge you to lead the path towards “greening” the MTPDP. Break free from the failed development track of the previous administration. Your exercise of political will in the issuance of a national logging ban has encouraged us. We hope you do not relent in pursuing conservation, protection and rehabilitation of our environment and natural resources, as it is the best socio-economic safety net for our largely ecologically dependent and highly vulnerable communities.

As the formulation of the MTPDP is nearing its conclusion, we call on you to issue the necessary directive that would start the “Green Audit” provided in Chapter 9 (Environment & Natural Resources) of the draft MTPDP allowing for continuing review and adjustment of the country’s development plan in terms of its consistency with environment sustainability.

As the nation commemorates the 25th anniversary of EDSA, we look forward to the fulfillment of its promise of a better future for all Filipinos. Let us build together a greener, more sustainable, resilient and climate ready Philippines.

Maraming salamat at umaasa po kami sa iyong pagpapahalaga sa ating kalikasan at sa kapakanan ng bawat mamamayang Pilipino.

Sincerely yours,
The Caucus to Green the MTPDP
This open letter was signed by the following individuals and organizational representatives of the Caucus to Green the MTPDP: Alternative Budget Initiativ-nvironment Cluster; Angkan ng Mandirigma University of the Philippines Diliman Chapter; Batas Tomasino-University of Santo Tomas; CONVERGENCE for Community Area Centered Development; Earthday Network Philippines; EcoWaste Coalition; Education for Life Foundation; Fair Trade Alliance; Go Organic! Philippines; Greenpeace Southeast Asia (Philippines); Haribon Foundation; lawyer Rodolfo Quicho; Vladie Bañez; Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities; Institute for Philippine Cooperative and Social Enterprise Development; Intercontinental Network of Organic Farmers Organizations Philippines; Interface Development Interventions-Davao; Mindanao; KAAKBAY; Movement for the Advancement of Sustainable Agriculture; One Organic Movement; Partido Kalikasan; Partnership for Clean Air; Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement; RESILIENCE and Nurturing Disaster Ready Cities and Communities; Rice Watch and Action Network and Action for Economic Reforms; Saganang Buhay sa Liga ng Bayan Foundation; Sagip Sierra Madre Environmental Society; Sibol ng Agham at Teknolohiya; Sierra Tourism Consultancy; Social Watch Philippines; College of Forestry and Natural Resources, College of Agriculture, School of Environmental Science, and Graduate School of the University of the Philippines Los Baños; World Wildlife Fund Philippines; Zero Waste Recycling Movement of the Philippines; and caucus convener La Liga Policy Institute.

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