A People’s Environment Agenda (PEA) that calls on the officials of Negros Occidental to take urgent action to protect the environment was presented by the participants of a People’s March for Environmental Justice and Good Governance who converged at the provincial Capitol in Bacolod City on Friday, June 27.
About 1,000 members of civil society, students, Church leaders, workers, and fisherfolk joined the march from the San Sebastian Cathedral to the Capitol where they presented the PEA to Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz.
“This People’s Environment Agenda is a call to Governor Bong Lacson and all local officials to take urgent action. We ask for stronger environmental policies, fair and inclusive decision-making, and full respect for the rights of indigenous and rural communities”, Joshua Villalobos of the Negrosanon Initiative for Climate and the Environment (NICE) said.
“As new political terms begin, we, the people of Negros, renew our call for leadership that puts the well-being of both people and nature first,” he said
Diaz met with participants of the march to listen and assure them that the provincial government is acting on their concerns.
“We share in your concerns…we join you in this”, Diaz said, as he assured them of the provincial government’s support.
Diaz also informed the marchers of the numerous projects of the provincial government towards the preservation of the environment.
COASTAL AND MARINE LIFE
The PEA calls on the provincial government to protect coastal and marine life , ban offshore mining and destructive dredging, defend small fisherfolks and preserve the 15 kilometers municipal waters.
This can be achieved by issuing an Executive Order placing an immediate moratorium on all forms of offshore mining and coastal dredging within the province, it said.
It also called for a provincial resolution opposing seabed mineral extraction and destructive dredging, and for LGUs to adopt local ordinances strengthening marine habitat protections and limiting commercial activity in ecologically sensitive zones.
The PEA urges the officials to rally the provincial government’s legal arsenal to support the cause of the marginal fisherfolks’ fight to defend the 15 kilometers municipal waters against the intrusion of commercial fishers.
JUST ENERGY TRANSITION
The PEA also called on the provincial government to accelerate a just energy transition and phase out fossil fuel dependence.
“Negros Occidental can lead the nation in a democratic energy transition rooted in renewable, community-owned power. But continued reliance on fossil fuel contracts undermines both our climate commitments and energy costs,” it said.
It called for a provincial executive policy disallowing endorsements or approvals of any new fossil fuel-based Power Supply Agreements.
“Convene and activate the Just Energy Transition Council, with representation from LGUs, civil society, and other energy stakeholders, with clear milestones toward achieving 100 percent RE by 2030,” it said.
Prioritize support for microgrid, solar, and wind energy systems owned or co-managed by communities and cooperatives, the PEA also urged.
It urged the officials to ensure passage of a comprehensive Provincial Energy Code that is geared towards enabling a just energy transition
DEFEND BIODIVERSITY, INDIGENOUS LAND
The PEA also urged the provincial government to defend biodiversity and Indigenous land, and stop the expansion of ecologically damaging agribusiness
The palm oil plantation in Candoni, encroaching on indigenous territories and critical habitats, exemplifies the harms of unchecked agricultural expansion. Such ventures displace communities, degrade watersheds, and violate land rights, it added.
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
The PEA called on the provincial officials to institutionalize public participation, transparency, and rights-based environmental governance.
“Genuine people’s participation is essential to just and effective governance. Civil society must be given real power to influence decisions, monitor implementation, and defend public interests,” it said.
The PEA was signed by 34 Negros-based organizations.*