Presidential aspirant and Vice President Leni Robredo has signed a covenant with various environmental groups that outlined her green agenda if elected President in May 2022, affirming her commitment to prioritize environmental protection and preservation.
“Recognizing the solemn duty of the President of the Philippines to safeguard the right of the Filipino people to a balanced and healthful ideology; we make a shared commitment to a people-centered sustainable development that ensures food security, human rights and preserves our country’s biodiversity, natural resources and ecological landscapes for the welfare of all,” the covenant said.
The covenant was signed at the Office of the Vice President on Friday, January 14, with representatives from LILAK, or the Purple Action for Indigenous Women; NASSA-Caritas Philippine Ecology Program; Healthcare Without Harm; Environmental Studies Institute – Miriam College; Alyansa Tigil Mina; Philippine Permaculture Association; GreenAgenda4Leni; and EnviRobredo. Statements of support from various environmental groups around the country were also read by those who joined the program via zoom.
In her message, Robredo acknowledged the state of the environment, saying: “Pag tayo ay nabigyang pagkakataon mamuno, ang una natin kailangan harapin ‘yung reality na parang over the years, alam na natin na very vulnerable ‘yung ating bansa. Alam natin na marami tayong mga ginagawa na hindi naaayon sa dapat.”
The Vice President asked the advocates to help people understand what is at stake, saying that the success of the agenda depends on the public’s cooperation.
“Siyempre we started working together already when we developed the 10-point agenda, but let this be a continuing effort. Siguro ang challenge papaano ba natin itong agenda na ito mata-translate into terms na ramdam ng tao na gut issue ito,” she said.
Robredo said that she would put forward clear and coherent land use policies, food sovereignty, elimination of plastic pollution, climate justice, a minerals management regime that prioritizes local community development, and transition to safe, clean, and affordable energy, among others.
Robredo has, on several occasions, emphasized the need to take care of the environment and create policies that would recognize and adapt to the effects of climate change as the people always grapple with widespread devastation brought by natural disasters, most recent of which was supertyphoon Odette.
