MAKAKALIKASAN (Nature Party Philippines) Assesses the Duterte Government on the 15-Point GREEN AGENDA

PRESS STATEMENT
Embargo until 10AM July 2021

MAKAKALIKASAN (Nature Party Philippines) finds the Duterter administration a FAILURE in pursuing the GREEN AGENDA to benefit the environment and the Filipino people.

Based on our assessment of the performance and achievements of the Duterte Administration from 2016-2021 using our 15-point Green Agenda and our cross-cutting commitments to equity, especially for the vulnerable "peoples" and sectors of our society, promotion-respect-protection of Human Rights, good governance against graft & corruption and  peace & development, we find the Duterte government actions and policies insufficient in confronting our climate and environment emergencies.

While we recognize some gains towards our shift to renewable energy, organic agriculture and a modest gain in our reforestation targets. However, this is seriously negated with the total turn around on our ban on open pit mining and the moratorium on new mining projects. Also, the heavy new borrowings that have ballooned our national debt to 11.07T PhP in the long run will weaken our capacity to achieve sustainable development. The Duterte administration also seriously failed  in protecting our national patrimony especially in the West Philippine Seas. 

While there were some gains in some areas of the 15-point Green Agenda from the accomplishments and performance of the Duterte administration in the past 5 years, the overall rating is a dismal 24.8% of what we need to face the myriad of issues that affects our readiness to confront the challenges of our existential issues as human species today. This is crucial as we are confronted with multiple crises of the COVID-19 pandemic, the worsening economic recession, the dire negative impacts of climate change and the catastrophic implications to human beings of the biodiversity collapse. A good-enough eco-steward-government must do no more harm and should at least achieve 50% or more. A truly responsive green government should achieve at least 75%. 

Of this performance and accomplishments,  the cluster of green agenda on the KABUHAYAN or economic & sustainable wealth creation concerns receives a low 10.2%. Lower still is the cluster of green agenda on the KALIKASAN or environmental management & conservation concerns with a lower 9.8% rating. Ang lowest is the cluster of green agenda on KARAPATAN or rights-based related concern at a dismal 4.8%. We therefore assess the Duterte administration of the past 5 years as a FAILURE in terms of the GREEN AGENDA! (visit www.naturepartyph.weebly.com/greensona2021 for more details)

CLIMATE & PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY ACTIONS.

Looking at Green Agenda number 1 on Climate & Public Health Emergency Actions, this has the following 4 key targets: 

1. Recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and preparations for succeeding pandemics and the other socio-economic problems brought about by ensuing economic crises and continuing impacts of climate change and other environmental problems
2. Adaptation to the impacts of climate change utilizing ecosystem-based or nature-based solutions
3. Mitigation of the root causes of climate change through lifestyle changes, changes in social & economic systems and changes in political and governance systems
4. Adoption of the planetary health framework to guide our climate actions and public health starting with an actionable declaration of a national climate emergency

We used 4 indicators to measure performance on these targets and we took note of the following accomplishments: a) Adoption of House Resolution 1377: Declaring a Climate and Environmental Emergency b) a low 4.7% vaccination rate for COVID-19, c) a low increase by 22% of the climate action budget this 2021 as compared to 2016 and d) very low 2% non-conditional climate mitigation target as set out in the country’s Nationally Determined Contributions on NDCs to the Paris Climate Agreement. It is worth noting however that in the same NDC, the country is committing 75% reduction of its greenhouse gas emission; albeit with 98% of this target conditional to support from other countries.

The 15-point GREEN AGENDA includes the following decisive actions that MAKAKALIKASAN believes is necessary to prepare Filipinos to confront the existential issue of the very survival of our species. These include: 

KALIKASAN

# Climate & public health emergency actions
# Renewable Energy & Green Public Works
# Sustainable Agriculture
# Biodiversity & Habitat Conservation
# Green Governance Reforms

KABUHAYAN

# Ecological Economics & Zero Waste
# De-Urbanization & Greening Cities​ 
# Humanely Reducing Population Growth
# Sustainable National Financing
# Education, Research & Development (R&D) & Artistic Expressions for Sustainability
# Sustainable Reintegration of OFWs

KARAPATAN

# Reclaiming Natural Resources Patrimony
# Ensure Self Determination of our different "Peoples" & Final Peace Settlement
# South East Asia Green Cultural, Economic & Ecological Security Solidarity
# Global Climate Justice Leadership

Makakalikasan is an emerging national green political party. Our petition for registration as a national party is currently pending with the 2nd division of the Commission on Elections.

Finally, MAKAKALIKASAN, calls for a just transition for this current government to a new one. In this transition, we call on the Duterte administration to ensure that current problems in these current areas of concern are not further aggravated and to prepare for a smooth transition to a new government who can do a better job. These include:

A clear roadmap and more decisive and effective set of actions to control and recover from our current COVID-19 pandemic and the accompanying social and economic crises that it has brought
A stronger stand to peacefully re-affirm our claim on the West Philippine Seas building from our victory in the ruling of the Hague arbitration under the UNCLOS


For inquiries:

Ms. Ellen Estares 
National Spokesperson 
Mobile: 0917 6306500 
Email: star27almond@yahoo 

Mr. Rameses Javier Casten
National President
Mobile: 0956 3580518
​​​​Email: ramesesjcasten@gmail.com