Attempting to find someone to blame, he points one finger but is pointed back at with three. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. faced criticisms as he called citizens out for improper waste disposal that caused flooding in Metro Manila during the onslaught of Super Typhoon Carina.
Metro Manila was placed in a state of calamity on July 24, following the heavy rains and flood. This is despite the ongoing 5,500 new flood control projects that the President reported during his State of the Nation Address (SONA) last July 22. However, according to him, the trash that blocked the pumps hindered its full efficacy which led to massive floods.
With the worsening effects of climate change, Carina is just the tip of an iceberg from the yet-to-come destructive typhoons set to enter the country. Will the collective efforts of the citizens to properly dispose waste suffice to mitigate the incoming destruction? Or the government hasn’t fully done its part in addressing the issue of climate injustice?
As of 2022, the Philippines ranks first as the deadliest country in Asia for environmental defenders while ranking fifth in the world next to Brazil, Columbia, Mexico, and Honduras for more than a decade. They have been subjected to threats, killings, and red-tagging in the attempt to protect the environment and their ancestral lands since most of them belong to the indigenous community. For more than a decade, the atrocities towards them are still yet to be addressed or publicized. A denial of justice towards the defenders is a perpetuation of crime against the environment. Their lack of protection and vulnerability to the viciousness of giant entities is an outcome of the government’s lapses in securing legislation for their safety.
Laws were established to foresee the protection of natural resources, yet they function the other way around. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is a government agency assigned to ensure the proper use and protection of natural resources. However, in the past years, it has made decisions contradicting its supposed functions such as giving a permit to the construction of Kaliwa Dam on the Sierra Madre mountain range, the Manila Bay Rehabilitation Project involving the controversial dolomite sand, and recently, the resort placed in between hills in the UNESCO heritage site known as the Chocolate Hills of Bohol.
With all these questionable decisions and controversies, can we really bank on DENR as an ally for climate justice? Or should the government begin questioning whose interests they are serving?
Lastly, the deafening silence on the crimes against the environment and its defenders continues to prevail due to the inaccessibility of legal help and media coverage. Aside from environmental defenders, environmental lawyers are also being attacked for offering legal assistance to underserved communities fighting against environmental destruction. The media also has little to no coverage of these injustices, and if there is, they too become subjected to harassment. If the government genuinely advocates for climate justice, these aspects cannot be overlooked.
While it is true that the collective discipline of the masses in proper waste disposal will help in preventing floods, it is just a fraction of what needs to be done to completely solve the issue. Environmental defenders fight entities that contribute to the massive destruction of the environment which leads to worsening the impacts of climate change. Proper waste disposal should only be a regulatory measure to ensure that major efforts will not go in vain.
The government should also protect the indigenous people as they are often the forefront protectors of the environment alongside other defenders. Create laws that will safeguard their rights and their lives alongside making legal assistance accessible to them. Investigate the DENR’s previous verdicts on granting permits and assess whether their decisions contributed to the further destruction of the environment. Penalize and do a make-over on its personnel, preferably those who are genuine allies of climate justice.
To the people, collective effort is indeed needed. Discipline is something, but not everything when it comes to climate justice. Continue to amplify crimes against the environment and its defenders and never hold back from seeking accountability from the government. In this fight, one’s consciousness in proper disposal is not enough because only by having a voice will make miseries known.
In the attempt to look for someone to blame, a reflection of whose major role is emphasized. This is why it is often said that the government should be an environmental activist. Otherwise, instead of taking accountability, it will continue to point fingers, while everyone is closely watching them.
Article: Danielle C. Barredo
Cartoon: Timothy Andrei M. Milambiling
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