Rights of Nature Assembly to take place this week, wants to declare Climate Emergency

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Quezon City, Metro Manila – The Rights of Nature (RON) Philippines would be convening a general assembly by March 21 to 23 at Manresa Retreat House. RON Ph would have at least six conversations throughout the three day assembly featuring environmentalists, advocates and primemovers such as Atty. Tony La Viña, Atty. Mumta Ito, Fr. Edwin Gariguez, former representative Teddy Baguilat, Atty. Cormac Cullinan and national coordinator Yolanda Esguerra.

According to the concept note, “the Rights of Nature campaign is a growing global movement to protect the environment by recognizing nature, like humans, has intrinsic rights. In the Philippines, spearheaded by the Philippine Misreor Partnership Inc (PMPI) and NASSA/ Caritas Philippines.”

The RON PH campaign is calling for the declaration of Climate Emergency with focus on recovering the deep relations with nature (#IAmNature), pushing for the passage of the Right of Nature Bill, advocating eco-governance and promoting Sapat Lifestyle. With the recent actions by the indigenous peoples like Remontado and Dumagat in opposition to Kaliwa dam and the pending spread of oil spill to the Verde Island Passage shared territorial waters in Palawan, Romblon, Batangas, Marinduque and Mindoro.

Moreover, the campaign will be a year-long campaign aiming to accelerate waves of actions to contribute to mitigation of climate change and it impacts. The declaration of climate emergency would be a prompt for three concrete actions on mitigation and adaptation measures that can be carried out by the declaring group: make public the Rights of Nature; send to the president or the executive branch and manifest to lawmakers at all levels national and local.

At the end of the year, the campaign hopes to have a dent to the following: increase the number of local governments, socio-cultural institutions, civil society organizations and/or private sectors; increase visible actions, to mitigate impact of climate changes and demanding climate justice; and increase the number of people, institutions and local governments and agencies pushing national government to declare a climate emergency.