SanibLakas
InfoShare for Earth Day 2000
E
A R L I E R B U L L E T I N S
.Bulletin
No. 6-1 (April 2, 2000)
xxx
'PagSandiwa':
Indigenous People's
Theater
Festival to honor Mother Earth
xxx
..........MANILA,
Philippines, April 2, 2000 (SanibLakas InfoShare) -- A humble, remote
village of a Filipino tribal community will be the venue for a gathering
of  hundreds
of tribal elders, shamans, healers, storytellers and folk performers from
various parts of the Philippines. The occasion is the "PagSandiwa"
Indigenous People's Theatre Festival" celebrating the relationship
of indigenous people with Mother Earth.
..........Originally
set to be held in Puerto Princesa City, the nine-day celebration will begin
on 22 April 2000 with a performance tour of the theatre production "Seven
Rituals of Mother Earth" featuring children and youth of the Kalinga, Ayta,
Talaandig, T'boli, Dibabawon and Tausug communities.
..........On
22 April, shamans will collectively launch the festival with the blessing
of the first indigenous school in the Philippines called Sikat (rise).
The school will specialize in the preservation of indigenous knowledge
and lifeways which uphold the ecological integrity of Mother Earth.
It is the community's feast offering to Earth
Day 2000.xxx
..........The
festival venue is Botolan, Zambales among the community of Aytas who call
themselves "Lakas" (power). Botolan town is five hours by express
bus to the northwest of Manila and the village of Bihawo is reachable by
a 20-minute ride  through
dirt road by tricyle from the town proper. The venue rests at the
foot of a mountain range close to the South China Sea. There is no
electricity in there, but there is water from the springs (without the
plastic bottle) and toilets for those fearful of dark spots and snakes
in the forest.
..........The
Ayta village was chosen as Festival site because it represents the spirit
of the gathering, which is people coming together to come close to Mother
Earth and pay homage to her elemental spirits.
.........Performers
from the Kalinga, Dibabawon, Subanen, T'boli, Talaandig, Sama, Tausug,
Badjao and Bagobo tribes will present their traditional dances, music and
stories. The ritual theatre presentations will also serve as venues for
sharing of experiences in harnessing culture and traditions for the protection
of environment.The Ayta hosts will themselves narrate through music and
dance their phenomenal journey from the lahar-stricken slopes of Mt. Pinatubo
to their present village of Bihawo.
..........The
Aytas, more commonly called Negritos, of Central Luzon, Philippines lived
in the slopes of Mt. Pinatubo. When the volcano erupted in 1992,
they fled their paradise sanctuary and journeyed around for years living
in misery. Finally, they resettled in the remote village of
Bihawo, Botolan, Zambales at the foot of a mountain range. Today,
they are rebuilding their community life and reconstructing their culture
and traditions. To the Aytas, their cultural heritage is the soul
of their existence.
..........Last
year, they started building a large tribal house made of bamboo and cogon
grass that was to be the building of the School of Indigenous Knowledge
and Traditions of the Ayta Tribe (SIKAT- Ayta). The school, they
believe will be their community’s lifeline so long as it remains true to
their ancestors’ convictions and beliefs.
..........The
tribal participants will be traveling from their environmentally-endangered
ancestral lands which are wonders of creation: the magnificent rice terraces,
a giant lake nestled on top of a mountain, a peninsula of rare wildlife,
a forest paradise of biodiversity. Each group will present their
stories of how their lifeways and cultures are shaped and nourished by
the wealth of their environment. And how the protection of their
environment is vital for the survival of their community.
While there will
be no "millenium"-scope fireworks nor CNN-type multi-media extravaganzas,
there'll be fireflies and stars, and voices of our elders to take us back
to our millenium past, indigenous children to celebrate the opening of
their very own school and shamans to herald the coming of days dreamed.
xxx..........The
PagSandiwa
Indigenous People's Festival is being organized by the Asian
Council for People's Culture/Theatre for the Environment Network (ACPC/Tent),
a national organization of cultural workers and community educators.
Interested parties may reach Aries Clemeno, coordinator, by writing or
visiting the ACPC/Tent office at 13 Madre Selva St., Roxas District, Quezon
City 1103 or via Tel: 373 4932, Fax: 412 1954 or e-mail address,
AcpcTent@info.com.ph.
Bulletin
No. 6-2 (April 2, 2000)
xx
Ecological
Society launches
essay-writing
contest, other projects
xx
..........MANILA,
Philippines, April 2, 2000 (SanibLakas InfoShare) -- The Ecological
Society of the Philippines (ESP), one of the few groups that pioneered
in environment advocacy in this country, has launched an environmental
essay-writing contest among elementary and high school students, in the
context of the current commemoration of Earth
Day 2000. It has also scheduled tree-planting
and other activities.
..........According
to Antonio M. Claparols, ESP president and one of the convenors
of Earth Day Network 2000 - Philippines, this project is undertaken to
further enhance the environmental awareness of the Filipino people, especially
the youth. In a message he e-mailed to SanibLakas InfoShare from
New Delhi where he was attending a conference of the International Union
for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Claparols said the essay-writing
contest project is being undertaken by ESP in partnership with JRS
Business Corporation. Prizes range as follows: 1st Prize - P5,000.00;
2nd Prize - P4,000.00; and 3rd Prize - P 3,000.00.
..........It
is so easy to join, said a subsequent communication from the JRS main office
in Manila. All interested participants are to write a one-page essay on
anything  that is
related to the environment, in English or Filipino, on the theme "Protecting
the Environment." The essay must handle any relevant issues concerning
protecting the environment, the contest rules indicate. Entries, accompanied
by a photocopy of the participant's school ID, can be dropped at a JRS
outlet
anywhere in the country free-of-charge, addressed to "Office of the President,
Ecological
Society of the Philippines
c/o JRS Express No. 19 Brixton
St., Brgy. Kapitolyo, Pasig City, and the same must be received by April
23.
..........There
are two categories: Elementary and High School level. Winners will
be announced on the Radyo Kalikasan program of Miriam PEACE over
DWBL AM on Sunday, April 30,2000, at 8:00 am to 9:00 am, and will be notified
in writing through the nationwide JRS Express network.
..........Among
the other ESP-JRS activities for Earth Day 2000 are tree-planting,
coastal protection and mangrove reforestation, and establishment of seedbank
nurseries in Talisay, Negros Occidental, in Matuid, Batangas, and in Makati
City, Metro Manila. ESP started undertaking such activities
as early as 23 years ago. Also included in the list of activities
is the wide distribution in various schools of copies of the ESP
Primer, containing articles written by Tony Claparols. Tony's brother,
Xavier, is also active in all these events. Both ESP and JRS
are
also donors to the Ta-Noód Kalikasan Video Festival for Earth
Day 2000 (see related story below).
Bulletin
No. 6-3 (April 2, 2000)
Haribon
sets local Earth Day events
..........MANILA,
Philippines, April 2, 2000 (SanibLakas InfoShare) -- Haribon
Foundation, which is among the oldest environmental groups in the Philippines,
has  chosen to
go very local in its commemoration of Earth
Day 2000 later this month. Haribon
executive
director Al Manaloto told SanibLakas InfoShare in an interview
that Haribon's national office will not go into any national commemoration
or project and would instead make its presence felt in the localities where
the organization has ongoing active projects.
..........Meanwhile,
Beau Cabonguis, Haribon officer for advocacy, informed SanibLakas
InfoShare through the e-mail (sanib_alam@yahoo.com) of the organization's
Earth
Day 2000 activities in Bicol as prepared
by its field office in that region. A three-day Eco-Camp has
been scheduled in the second week of April in the Mt. Isarog National Park
(in Bgy. Tinangis, Pili, Camarines Sur).
..........There
will be various activities in this Eco-Camp, including lectures
and discussions (on the Philippine environmental situation, basic ecology,
environmental laws, and the Mt. Isarog Management Plan), a bonfire, hike
to Tinangis Falls, the processing learnings and insights, and Covenant-Signing.
..........The
Eco-Camp
will
be underaken by the Tinangis local government unit, the Eco-Scouts,
Haribon-Ateneo de Naga, Haribon staff, Anduyog Isarog, Inc. (people's
organization), the Philippine Partnership for the Development of Human
Resources in the Rural Areas (PhilDHRAA),
BURDFI, and Care
Philippines.
..........There
will also be an Eco-Hike scheduled for Earth
Day 2000 week, the last week of April,
Hiwacloy, Goa, Camarines Sur, also within the Mt. Isarog National Park.
Aside from actually hiking, participants will be discussing the topic of
ecotourism and will draw up a "Site Development Proposal for Ecotourism"
in the area.
..........Participants
will be the local government of Goa, a people's organization called PKBI,
Haribon's Bicol staff, members of the US Peace Corps,
and the park superintendent of the Department of Environment and Natural
Resources.
Bulletin
No. 6-4 (April 2, 2000)
'Ta-Nood
Kalikasan': Video-viewing
to
watch over the environment
..........MANILA,
Philippines, April 2, 2000 (SanibLakas InfoShare) -- Watching over
the environment, as in doing sentry-duty, or casting a "misty-eyed last
look" on life and  beauty
that might soon be gone forever -- this is what the Ta-Nood Kalikasan
Video Festival for Earth Day 2000 is all about. And it's all there
in the coined Tagalog word "ta-nood," from the words "tanod," as
watching to guard and "nood" as watching to witness, according to Tanghalang
Lakbay-Pinoy Productions, Inc. (TLP), the festival organizer.
..........Videography,
one of the latest relatively-inexpensive communication and education technologies
to appear on the Philippine horizon is making a debut in environmental
advocacy and activism, thanks to the vision and dedication of broadcast
journalist Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel, and support from festival sponsors
like the Land Bank of the Philippines, LG Collins, World Partners Finance,
Corp., Ecological Society of the Philippines, and JRS Express.
The festival is undertaken in cooperation with the Environmental Broadcast
Circle, Earthlite Foundation and Earth Day Network 2000 - Philippines.
..........The
video documentaries and short videos will be shown during the Easter Week
following Earth Day, April 22, in two sites in Metro Manila (Quezon Memorial
Circle and Earthlite), and in the cities of Puerto Princesa, Iloilo and
General Santos. The videos are individual thesis productions of the amateur
videomakers completing a workshop under the Ta-Nood Kalikasan project
itself,
and earlier video productions of professionals that would be shown as "guest
videos."
..........After
leaving GMA Channel 7, Baraquel founded TLP, a partnership that
started organizing concerts in various parts of the country on occasions
like the Peñafrancia in Bicol and Masscara in Negros) which she
thought our young musical concert artists should be exposed to for their
own education on Filipino culture. TLP eventually diversified its activities,
and moved into the ongoing production of a record album of songs from the
Bicol
Artists for Peace, and also into this Ta-Nood Kalikasan,
envisioned to be just the first in a series of video festivals it would
organize.
..........Planning
started in August 1999, and by December, TLP held its first of six
three-day seminars on video-making for the environment, with veteran film-
and video-maker Surf Reyes as seminar and workshop facilitator. "The
workshop begins with this seminar," Reyes says, "and it includes the production,
submission, exhibition and critiquing of actual videos the participants
submit as their individual theses." Up to the end of last February,
six such seminars were held, three in Metro Manila and one each in Puerto
Princesa City, General Santos City, and in the island province of Guimaras
off Iloilo.
..........The
people have much to look forward to in this festival, as the videos will
not only be varied in lengths and topics, they will also be varied in approaches.
Some will be "love stories" showing the beautiful life forms and ecosystems
that deserve all the appreciation and protection we can ever give them,
others will be "horror stories" that will show that has started to happen
in terms of environmental destruction, "action stories" showing entire
communities as "bida" in the fight for environmental conservation, and
"success stories" showing real-life dramas and lessons for more such victories.
..........Rather
than teach environmentalism to professional videomakers, TLP chose
to teach video-making to environment lovers. It would be interesting to
see the outcome by this forthcoming Earth
Day 2000 festival week starting Easter
Sunday.
Bulletin
No. 6-5 (April 2, 2000)
Seminars,
'Handhakes & Hug' gatherings
openers
for 'Earth Day @ Earthlite' Festival
..........MANILA,
Philippines, April 2, 2000 (SanibLakas InfoShare) -- The first formal
gathering" of the "simple worldwide activity" for Earth Day 2000, called  "Handshakes
& Hugs (Around the World) for Earth Day 2000" and the first
of three Sunday seminars were among the early activities in the recently
launched "Earth Day @ Earthlite Festival 2000" at the
"wholistic place" housed on the fourth floor of C.O.D. Dept. Store building
in Cubao.
..........The
atmosphere during the launching last March 22, a full month before Earth
Day 2000 was a mixed feeling of lightness and solemnity, pride and determination
-- it was peculiarly Earthlite! World-class fashion designer
Dita Sandico-Ong, Earthlite president, stood to deliver the welcome
remarks to about two dozen people and to formally open the five-week "Earth
Day @ Earthlite Festival 2000" that would be a significant contribution
to the Philippine, and international, commemoration of the first Earth
Day of the New Millennium.
..........Ms.
Sandico-Ong underscored the two meanings of the word "light" in the name
of this "alternative venue," one pertaining to the awareness of truth
and the other pertaining to the lightness of being. Earth
Day 2000, she said, should give us
both. In this sense, she said, "Earth Day is every day here at Earthlite."
She recalled that very early in the year she offered to organizations planning
for Earth Day activities to use the place as a free venue, and that quite
a few groups, notably among the youth, actually did.
..........She
dedicated Earthlite to be home to environmental activists and advocates
not only during this commemoration but ever onwards, to the applause of
the crowd which included former Environment and Natural Resources Undersecretary
Delfin Ganapin, who is now secretary-general of the Earth Day 2000 Network
- Philippines, who was accompanied by environmentalist artist Odette
Alcantara, the network's program committee chair.
..........Others
who graced the affair were Rev. Philemon Castro of the Annunciation
Orthodox Church, who delivered a very moving prepared invocation in
Filipino; Marie R. Marciano, vice president of SanibLakas ng Taongbayan
Foundation and organizer of a new "citizen's green army" called "HULIKA";
Esper Dowling who manages the Ginhawa Alternative Wellness Center at
Earthlite;
Belle Fernandez, promotions officer of the Ta-Nood Kalikasan Video
Festival for Earth Day 2000 which will have
Earthlite
as
one of two Metro Manila venues for its video showings come Earth
Day week; and members of the coordinating committee of the recently-organized
Mountaineers
for the Environment movement. It was emceed by Earthlite
festival
coordinator Ding Reyes assisted by Clyd Masmela of Earthlite administration.
..........At
his turn to speak, Ganapin congratulated Earthlite for its own festival
which is part of the bigger whole in the Philippines and the much bigger
whole in the world. He said the festival is one of the first actual activities
this year for Earth Day 2000 while
many others are still planing for events in April. Toward the end of last
year, the Ta-Nood Kalikasan video festival started its series
of seminars on video-making and SanibLakas ng Taongbayan Foundation
launched
the first bulletins of SanibLakas InfoShare, both for
Earth
Day 2000.
..........The
activities at Earthlite include the week-long video-showing (see
related story above); a series of Sunday seminars on the Deep Ecology paradigm,
the Inner Environment and the sense of planethood; Earth-power healing
at the Ginhawa Center, a food festival "for Earthians" at Geo-Café,
environment-oriented art lessons and free sketchings by the Sanibkulay
visual
arts group; the Sunday evening multi-nationality "Handshakes &
Hugs" gatherings by SanibLakas; initial recruitment by the
Hukbong
Lakas ng Inang Kalikasan (HULIKA); an aikido exhibition by Take-Muso
Dojo; poetry-readings by the Association of Filipino Poets (ASFIPO);
and ceremonies at the Bahay-Liwanag--Emilio Jacinto Center for Transformative
Consciousness; and many others.
..........Even
the fortnightly newsletter Earthlite Sparks & Reflections has
started concentrating on "Earth" topics, starting with an editorial, title
"Earth-this, Earth-that" which challenged everyone to bring to the profound
level the fun and festivity of the Earth
Day 2000 celebrations. The March Full
Moon issue started a two-part series on the Earth Charter process
which started in the world leaders' summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in
1992.
..........There
were not really too many people who attended the first of the Earthlite
seminars series, which stressed the challenge for fullfledged environmentalists
to "Love All Life." Seminar organizers have been aware that such
seminars, designed to be used for individual growth and for consolidation
of environmental groups through "echo seminars," are not as popular as
celebrity-studded shows but Earthlite's sense of mission calls for spreading
the light among those who are ready to receive, in turn, and spread it.
..........The
launching program was lightened and enhanced by two surprise numbers given
by the employees of Ginhawa. It was followed by the induction
of the first set of leaders of the Mountaineers for the Environment
which
was formalized only five days before, and by the first "Handshakes
& Hugs for Earth Synergy 2000" gathering at Earthlite.
..........The
logos of Earthlite and of Earth Day Network 2000 - Philippines
looked
cozy together in the program's backdrop between Geo-Café
and the art gallery. It was a beautiful, exciting day. And it was just
another beginning.
..........The
following Sunday, March 26, Earthlite held the first of its successive
Sunday seminars. Environmental broadcaster Marie R. Marciano was the resource
person for that seminar, titled, "Love All Life: The Deep Ecology Paradigm."
Bulletin
No. 6-6 (April 2, 2000)
Worldwide
Earth Day network
presses
appeal for more reports
..........MANILA,
Philippines, April 2, 2000 (SanibLakas InfoShare) -- The international
Earth Day network celebrated the 30 day kick-off to Earth Day 2000. Thirty
groups from around the world sent statements about their vision for Earth
Day and their event plans in support of the kick-off. The network
appealed to groups around the world with Earth
Day 2000
activities to send in details,
and sent out anew its standard format for the information it seeks.
..........In
a message sent to Earth Day-active organizations around the world, the
international team led by Mark Dubois, Shalini Ramanathan, Serryn Janson
and others, said that "Earth Day 2000 continues to grow at an amazing rate.
We are now working with 4500 groups in 181 countries. All over the planet,
people are coming together in their communities to use Earth Day to address
the critical environmental issues that face them."
..........Repeating
its appeal for more information, the network said in its e-mail messages,
"If you haven't already done so, please complete and return to us
the following event
information form: Contact name, Organization, Event address, Event date,
Start time, End time, Expected number of participants, Description of Earth
Day event/campaign, (and) Issue Focus." They said the groups concerned
"can also register events via the web at http://www.earthday.net, or fax
us at +1 206 682 1184."
..........They
mentioned specific activities in some of the countries, including the Philippines:
..........In
Thailand, Yadfon Association is organizing a Forest Hike from 21-23 April
to observe a watershed habitat, which is threatened by flooding from a
proposed dam. A special part of this event will be the ordination by Buddhist
monks of 100 of the largest trees found in this "protected" forest, involving
wrapping of the trees in saffron cloth.
..........In
Bolivia, in the week leading up to Earth Day, Natura Bolivia is holding
a seminar for children from 60 local schools about local environmental
problems, such as plastic bag waste and other litter. On Earth Day 2000,
the children will lead a major community teach-out on what they have learned.
..........In
the Philippines, ACPC Theatre for the Environment Network is coordinating
a nine-day theatre festival from 22 to 30 April, entitled PagSandiwa (Oneness
in Spirit), with performances by indigenous peoples from various parts
of the Philippines and other countries (see item No. 6-1 above).
..........In
Zambia, Citizens for a Better Environment (cbezambia) is launching its
campaign to "Save the Kafue River" on Earth Day 2000. The river is a source
of potable water for 6 million people, but is severely polluted by the
runoff from 67 identified Zambian industries and broken sewer lines.
..........In
India, Appiko - Chipko Movement is organizing an Earth Day Community Workshop
at 10am on 22 April at Totigara Kalyan Mandap. Two hundred people will
participate in discussions, a slide show, contests for children, a folk
dance drama, and many other activities.
..........In
Russia, Sakhalin Environmental Watch is presenting environmental essays
by students to the Mayor of Yazhno-Sakhalinsk on Earth Day 2000. The essays,
addressed to the Mayor, aim to build government support for environmental
protection.
..........In
Germany, Earth Day - Stuttgart is organizing an Earth Fair on 19 April
in Schlossplatz focusing on topics such as climate change, sustainability,
alternative transportation, and Local Agenda 21.
..........Following
the fair, Dr. Liesel Hartenstein, a former member of Parliament, will speak
about the environment at Rathaus Stuttgart, Mittlerer Sitzungssaal.
..........Meanwhile
Ecological Society of the Philippines president Antonio M. Claparolshas
presented to International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
president Olanda Kakabadse a copy of the Hindi translation of the Filipino-written
English poem-prayer, "Earth Synergy 2000: A Giant Leap for Humankind."
In a message he e-mailed to SanibLakas Infoshare (sanib_alam@yahoo.com),
Claparols who was in New Delhi for the IUCN regional conference in India,
said Kakabadse was also interested to know about Earth Day 2000 activities
in the Philippines. SanibLakas Foundation had earlier expressed the wish
that Ms. Kakabadse would cause the poem to be translated into more languages
and the "Handshakes & Hugs" gatherings to be held in many countries
at least in the Asia-Pacific region.
.
Bulletin
No. 5-1 (March 18, 2000)
xx
First
'Handshakes Gathering'
set
March 22 in the Philippines
.
MANILA, March 18, 2000 (SanibLakas InfoShare) -- The "Handshakes
and Hugs (Around the World) for Earth Synergy 2000" gatherings set to be
held in various  countries
around the time of Earth Day next month will have its "First Gathering"
in the Philippines, the project's country of origin.
xx
.......Described
as a "simple activity with a profound significance" with as many gatherings
in as many countries as possible, the project was proposed two months ago
by SanibLakas ng Taongbayan (People's Synergy) Foundation in
the Philippines, which had earlier come out with the Earth Synergy 2000
poem/prayer, titled, "A Giant Leap for Humankind." (Click
here  ,
and see also item No. 3-3 below) Responses have been sent in from the
United States, Pakistan, Russia and Southern Africa, even as more translations
of the poem/prayer were received by the organization and mounted in its
website .
xx
.......The
"First Gathering" will be held at Earthlite, the "wholistic place" in Cubao,
Quezon City on March 22 at 5:30 p.m., right after the launching ceremony
of "Earth Day at Earthlite Festival 2000" which will begin in the same
venue at 4 p.m. (See item No. 3-3 below). Invitations
that encouraged the presence of as many non-Filipinos as possible have
been coursed through the embassies, the Philippine International Forum,
Institute for International Initiatives, and the Philippine
National Volunteer Service Coordinating Agency, which has links with
the United Nations volunteers, the U.S. Peace Corps, etc.
xx
.......Meanwhile,
the US-based president of Fortview Foundation Inc. pledged to organize
a 'Circle of Friends' party, similar to the "Handshakes and Hugs" gathering,
in Crossmaglen S.Armagh on April 23rd, the day after Earthday 2000 on the
Northern Irish border with Ireland. In a message he wrote on the
SanibLakas
website
guest book, Patrick J. McEntegart C.P.C./C.S.I. said he will "invite persons
from all walks of life to meet upon that border site to 'forge a human
peace circle for reconciliation in Ireland and the world. Afterwards, we
shall travel 'together as a unified group' for the reading of the poem/prayer,
'A Giant Leap for Humankind' and song-and-dance party in Crossmaglen town."
xx
.......As
this developed, three new translations have been added to those earlier
uploaded to the websit. These included versions in two languages
in Burma (Burmese and Chin), and the one in Dutch. A fourth one,
in Hindi, was being done as we prepared this bulletin, and still another
one, into Urdu, was reported to be in progress by Mahenaz Mahmud, of the
Teachers Resource Center in Pakistan.
Bulletin
No. 5-2 (March 18, 2000)
x'
xEarthlite,
'wholistic place,' to launch
month-long
Earth Day Festival
xx
.......MANILA,
March 18, 2000 (SanibLakas InfoShare) -- Earthlite, "the Wholistic
Place" at C.O.D. in Cubao, will launch on Wednesday, March 22, a month-long
"Earthday
at Earthlite Festival 2000" for its in-house community and all
its friends and guests.
xx
.......It
will actually run for more than a month, from March 22 up to the end of
Earth Day festival week (Easter Week) according to Earthlite president
Dita Sandico-Ong, who invited all Earth-lovers to "celebrate with us."
She also reiterated the Earthlite offer for environmentalist NGOs
and POs to use the venue for free when they hold meetings to prepare their
own Earth Day 2000
projects and activities.
xx
.......The
"Earth
Day at Earthlite Festival 2000" will feature, among many others,
a "Food Festival for Earthians" at Geo-Café;
an "Earth-Power Healing" festival at the Ginhawa (Wellness)
Alternative
Drop-in Center; a series of three seminars for profound preparation
for
Earth Day 2000,
free-sketching sessions by Sanibkulay visual arts group, the Aikido
for Unity and Harmony" exhibition by the Take-Muso Dojo,
poetry-readings by the Association of Filipino Poets, and video
showings of the Ta-nood Kalikasan video festival of Tanghalang
Lakbay Pinoy.
xx
.......The
complete listing of "Earth Day at Earthlite Festival 2000" activities can
be accessed at http://www/earthlite.faithweb.com
or interested parties may call up the Earthlite administration office
via telefax 9127004.
Earthlite
occupies the entire fourth floor
of the C.O.D. Dept. Store building in Araneta Center, Cubao, Quezon City
Bulletin
No. 5-3 (March 18, 2000)
E-Day
Philippine network
to
finalize plans March 25
xx
.......MANILA,
March 18, 2000 (SanibLakas InfoShare) -- A general meeting of all
the participants registered with the Earth Day Network 2000 - Philippines
have
been called to a general meeting on Saturday, March 25, at 9 a.m.
at the Miriam College Environmental Education Center in Quezon City, where
the network's secretariat is based. The secretariat, headed by Bebet
Gozun as executive secretary, sent this information to dozens of organizations
through various means, including electronic mail and fax.
xx
.......In
the scheduled meeting the Earth Day Network, which carries the theme
"New Leaf, New Life," expects to collate more information on the
participants' planned activities and to foresee and iron out specific concerns
to attain full preparedness for a successful  coordinated
and site-concentrated commemoration of Earth
Day 2000 on April 22 and succeeding
days. The Network Secretariat is maintaining a master list of participating
organizations and their respective plans (click at the grid with a heart
at the right) but this has remained sketchy and incomplete.
xx
.......As
this developed, an appeal was raised by John 'Lakan' Olivares of Earthian..magazine,
which was officially designated to publish a souvenir program for release
during the Earth Day 2000 festivities. In a message e-mailed to dozens
of addressees, Olivares noted that the participating organizations in the
Philippine network had not provided
Earthian the information on
their respective activities that the magazine needs to do its work.
xx
.......SanibLakas
Infoshare forwarded his message to about a thousand e-mail addresses,
and subsequently forwarded to the same addresses similar appeals from Sunday
Inquirer Magazine editor Karla Delgado-Yulo and the Earth Day 2000
International Network.
xx
.......Responding
to the appeals, Ecological Society of the Philippines president
and Earth Day Network 2000 - Philippines convenor Antonio M. Claparols
noted that his organization had already submitted to the Network
Secretariat some materials that could form the basis for magazine articles.
In two separate messages he later e-mailed to Yulo and to SanibLakas
InfoShare, Claparols said Laguna de Bay, Asia's largest fresh-water
lake should be saved, and that "our concerns for survival of this region
and planet Earth has never been more critical. To a point where if
we continue what we have been doing, which to me is inadequate, then we
are in for a surprise."
xx
.......He
added that "We are on the verge of an ecological disaster as the Ecological
Time Bomb continues to click. Global warming and climate change
have become the top environmental priority issues. As well as deforestation,
and the destruction our Marine and Terrestial biodiversity, poverty.
and the introduction of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) and Invasive
Species have become a threat to our environment and region."
xx
Bulletin
No. 5-4 (March 15, 2000)
xx'Mountaineers
for Environment'
movement
birthed after 5 years
xx
.
MANILA, March 18, 2000 (SanibLakas InfoShare) -- 'Mother gives birth
on her own birthday.' This may well be a headline this morning, after
the Communicators 
League for Environmental Action and Restoration (CLEAR) celebrated
its 10th anniversary yesterday, March 17, and gave birth to a new
environmental network by hosting the "First Annual Convention
of Mountaineers for the Environment" coinciding precisely
with the 10th anniversary session of Kamayan para sa Kalikasan
at the Kamayan Restaurant along EDSA in Mandaluyong City.
xx
.......In
fact the forum session, with "Mountaineering for the Environment"
as its topic, became the inputs session of the Convention. The Convention
participants were some 24 mountaineering enthusiasts present up to the
"Convention-proper" after lunch who had earlier signed a covenant declaration
titled "Pahayag ng mga Mamumundok: Paggalang at Pangangalaga sa Kalikasan"
(text in English below) which was drafted way back in 1995.
xx
.......This
was CLEAR's second attempt to consolidate and increase the
number of environmentalists among the country's individual and organized
mountaineers. After a Kamayan forum session on the same theme in October
1995, CLEAR pursued the forum consensus to organize such a movement
and convened a series of meetings among representatives of mountaineering
groups with that end in view. That time, however, the effort fizzled out
after a common declaration had been collectively drafted.
xx
.......In
this second attempt, CLEAR has received consultancy assistance on
organization-building from the SanibLakas Foundation's Education
for Empowerment Program.
xx
.......Speakers
at the forum were Butch Sebastian, president of the Mountaineers Federation
of the Philippines; Beau Cabongis, advocacy officer of Haribon
Foundation; Pinky Serafica, Board of Trustees member of both CLEAR
and SanibLakas, and a frequent backpacker; and Rey Cuyugan, president
of the Sikap-Bundok mountaineering group. The closing remarks
at the very end of the gathering were given by Marie R. Marciano, vice
president of SanibLakas and lead organizer of Hukboing Lakas
ng Inang Kalikasan or HULIKA project.
xx
.......The
Convention created a five-member Coordinating Committee, with two alternate
members. The five regular members are Manny Perez, Regie Pablo, Greg Bituin,
Nomer Sagubay and Ed de Vera. The two alternates are Tita Dimacali and
Eric Garcia. They are scheduled to be inducted at Earthlite in appropriate
ceremonies on March 22 at about 8 p.m.
xx
.......The
Mountaineers
for the Environment movement had earlier been defined to be a loose
network of individual mountaineers and its functions limited to purely-environmental
concerns. The Convention that formalized it as an organization further
focused its concern to purely mountain-ecosystem matters.
xx
.......The
English translation of the declaration becomes the preamble of the new
orgamnization's charter, and it reads:
xx
......."WE
ARE MOUNTAINEERS, who visit the mountains or make a home of them, now signing
to declare our firm conviction that the Human, like the animal and the
plant, is a part -- and a child -- of Mother Nature, and the appropriate
disposition of the Human towards the Environment is one of respect, love
and caring. We shall undertake all steps and measures of care to
preserve the safety and serenity of the mountains and of the living communities
in them. This orientation will guide our lives from day to day.
xx
......."At
the same time, we shall tirelessly show and explain this to many other
people, especially our fellow mountaineers, and each of us will persuasively
draw in more people who would join us in signing this declaration and in
solidarity behind it. This, because Human life is inextricably linked to
that of Mother Nature and each one can contribute significantly to efforts
of caring for her.
xx
......."In
this manner, we shall form and strengthen an environmental movement of
mountaineers, a movement totally focused on environmental concerns, that
would hold an annual convention of mountaineers for environmental rescue
and conservation."
Bulletin
No. 5-5 (March 18, 2000)
xx.......75
'Ta-nood Kalikasan' participants
now
producing their videos
xx
.......MANILA,
March 18, 2000 (SanibLakas InfoShare) -- Participants of the Ta-nood
Kalikasan Video Festival for Earth Day 2000, numbering 75,
are
now producing and polishing their videos, even as the videofest organizers
in Tanghalang Lakbay Pinoy, led by TLP chair Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel
as executive producer, have been preparing for their showing during the
Easter Week, the "Earth Day festival week" for this year. TLP
has also made moves to set up an editing facility for use, at much-discounted
rates, by videofest participants who might need it. It will be available
starting Tuesday, March 21.
xx
.......The
videos produced by the amateur videomakers trained by TLP in six
three-day seminars, will combine with "guest videos" from within and from
outside the country to make up "about a hundred" environment-oriented videos.
These will be shown during the "Earth Day festival week" in two sites in
Metro Manila (at the Earth Day
2000 festival grounds in the Quezon
Circle and at Earthlite-C.O.D. in Cubao, both in Quezon City), and also
in the cities of General Santos, Puerto Princesa and Iloilo.
xx
.......TLP
had
conducted its videomaking seminars in or near these cities. A fifth venue
is still being arranged to be set up in Baguio City.
xx
.......Ta-nood
Kalikasan is a project of TLP in cooperation with Land Bank of
the Philippines, L.G. Collins, and World Partners Finance Corp., Ecological
Society of the Philippines, Environmental Broadcast Circle, Earth Day Network
2000 - Philippines, and Earthlite Foundation. TLP may be reached via tel.
no. 4263943.
Bulletin
No. 5-6 (March 18, 2000)
xx
xNIPA,
Maryknoll-Baguio
announce
planned activities for E-Day
xx
.......MANILA,
March 18, 2000 (SanibLakas InfoShare) -- The NGOs for Integrated
Protected Areas, Inc. (NIPA) announced Earth Day activities in Metro
Manila, even as Maryknoll-Baguio has bared its plans in that city.
xx
.......NIPA
announced the following activities under the Conservation of Priority Protected
Areas Project (CCPAP) in partnership with the Department of Environment
and Natural Resources (DENR):
xx
.......“PR
show – Support our PA’s” - Mini Conference with Multi Media Show on PA
Management for legislators, media people, corporate and advertising agencies
at Batasan, South Wing Conference Room. Thurs, April 13th (1:00 – 5:00pm).
xx
.......“Love
and Save our Protected Areas” - PA Walkathon / Rally from PCU to DENR and
from there around the inner circle of Quezon Circle Monday, April 17th,
(9:00 – 12:00 noon). Walk stops at PCU’s, PA Booth in Quezon Circle where
our photo exhibit will be set up from April 16th – 24th, PA T-shirts, Caps,
buttons and badges to be sold & our brochures distributed.
xx
.......Protected
Area Day - Launching of "Love and Save your Priority Protected Area" with
the following activities – Launching of NIPA – CPPAP Web Site – Press Conference
and multi – media presentation of the Web Pages and the different features
of the ten priority protected sites. Signing of commitments for the Protected
Area Bills by the respective Congressmen and Senators. Symbolic PA
Mural signing by distinguished guests. Date: April 24th Venue: Rembrandt
Hotel
xx
.......NIPA
incorporated is a consortium of Philippine civil society Organizations
involved in environmental and developmental work, which focuses on Protected
Area Management. It is a recipient of a grant from the Global Environmental
Facility (GEF), and works with the DENR and the World Bank in the implementation
of the Conservation of Priority Protected Areas Project (CCPAP) that pilot-tests
the National Integrated Protected Area System Law, which puts people and
communities at the center of environmental protection and biodiversity
conservation.
xx
.......The
10 Priority Protected Sites under the protected area law, are Bataan Natural
Park, Siargao Protected Landscape and Seascape, Mt. Kanlaon Natural Park,
Mt. Apo Natural Park, Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary, Turtle Islands,
Apo Reef, Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park, Batanes Protected Landscape
and Seascape and Mount Kitanglad Range Natural Park. NIPA cooperates with
local, national and international organizations in the government, business,
academic/scientific sectors to succeed in this world experiment on community-based
protected area management.
xx
.......Meanwhile,
the Maryknoll Ecological Sanctuary (MES) in Baguio City will celebrate
"The Renewal of the Earth in the Sign of the Resurrection" at the Sanctuary
Environmental Theater. Ann Braudis, MM, MES Director has invited
everyone to join the "Reflect on the Death of the Forest" ceremony at 9:30
a.m. April 22, which will be both Earth Day and Black Saturday this year.
xx
.......The
ceremony will dramatize the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ
in relation to the destruction and hopeful rebirth of the Philippine rainforest.
Sr. Peg Dillon, MM or Ms. Betty Tumbaga will lead small groups through
a ritual and liturgical celebration through "the Cosmic Journey," Sister
Ann wrote to SanibLakas InfoShare, adding that everyone really
is invited and that there wouldn't be any entrance or registration fee.
Bulletin
No. 5-7 (March 15, 2000)
.
Congress
members, spouses plan
own
E-Day festival: exhibits & meetings
.
MANILA, March 15, 2000 (SanibLakas InfoShare) -- Members of the
House of Representatives led by Isabela Rep. Heherson T. Alvarez are preparing
for "Earth Month 2000" to run from April 1-30, according
to information papers issued by the office of the said former senator.
Prominent among the listed activites are the planned exhibits to be put
up at the Batasang Pambansa south wing lobby, and conferences on clean
energy, clean air, clean waters, solid waste management and biodiversity,
to be held at the Batasan South Conference Rooms A & B.
.
Other planned activities include a "Green Ribbon Campaign," the
"Peace
Pole Planting" in Congress coordinated by a certain Amb. Limjuco
and the Congressional Spouses Foundation, the search for a "Youth
Earth Day Ambassador 2000" or YEDA, an
"Earth Run"
led by Fr. Robert Reyes to be coordinated with the Linis-Ganda organization,
activities about the problems of drugs and the trafficking of women, a
"Fast for Mother Earth," an "eco-liturgy," and a "Water
Arts Festival" to be coordinated by the Philippine Coast Guard,
the Philippine Navy, and the local government units along river
banks.
.
Aside from Congress members like Reps. Dante Liban, Allen Quimpo, Vicente
Sandoval, Arnulfo Fuentebella, and Zenaida Ducut, the organizers' executive
committee includes the Office of the Speaker and the Congressional Spouses
Foundation.
.
In a meeting held last February 18, the organizers created a sub-committee
on culture, with "initial committee members" that include the Cultural
Center of the Philippines (CCP) and Mrs. Cecile Guidote-Alvarez.
Bulletin
No. 4-1 (February 15, 2000)
xx
'E-Day
2000' RP network steps up drive
MANILA,
February 15, 2000 (SanibLakas InfoShare) -- Earth Day 2000 Network
- Philippines has stepped up its preparatory drive as Earth Day itself,
April 22, loomed large on the horizon.
xx
.......With
that date coming just a little more than two months from now, participating
organizations have been sending representatives to a series of coordinative
meetings, the latest of which was held last Sunday, February 13, at the
Blue Ridge, Quezon City residence of environmentalist artist Odette Alcantara.
xx
....... Earth
Day 2000 Network -- Philippines, which brings together a big number
of environmental groups, is headed by Raul Contreras as Philippine coordinator,
with former Environment and Natural Resources Undersecretary Delfin Ganapin
as secretary-general and Alcantara sa head of the program committee.
It was launched more than a hunbdred environmentalists at Miriam College
Environmental Education Center last January 22 (see
Bulletin No. 3-1 below).
xx
.......In
this latest meeting, it was announced that the recently-launched Earthian
magazine
will undertake documentation work on preparatory activities and prepare
a souvenir program for publication before Earth
Day 2000 itself. Earthian magazine
and
SanibLakas
InfoShare may later collaborate in preparing a "post-mortem" visuals-rich
historical account.
xx
.......According
to Raquel Tandug, the network's information officer, there was also agreement
that members will prominently display the network's own logo, which is
strikingly similar to that of the international Earth Day 2000 network.
xx
.......Earth
Day 2000 Network - Philippines may be reached at its secretariat office
at the Miriam College Environmental Education Center (EEC), through telephone
number 9272421. (ask for EEC)
Bulletin
No. 4-2 (February 15, 2000)
xxFestival
to show 'about a hundred' videos
.
MANILA,
February 15, 2000 (SanibLakas InfoShare) -- Tanghalang Lakbay
Pinoy's "Ta-Noód Kalikasan" video festival is
set to give public showings of "about a hundred" short videos on environment
concents during the commemoration of Earth Day 2000 , from April 22 up
to the end of the Easter Week. Deputy Festival Organizer Edwina B. Antonio
informed fellow participants in the last Sunday's meeting of Earth Day
2000 Network - Philippines in Quezon city (see 4-1 above) that TLP
has already given four three-day seminars on video-making to 58 amateur
and aspiring videomakers, with two seminars to go.
xx
.......Headed
by noted television journalist Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel, TLP has
conducted three seminars in Metro Manila last December and January, and
opened the month of February with a successful seminar at the Crocodile
Farming Institute (CFI) in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, in cooperation
with the Palawan Media and Environment Multipurpose Cooperative and
CFI
itself.
Before the month's end, Ta-nood Kalikasan will be holding its last
two seminars: on Feb. 18-20 in General Santos City to cover Mindanao, with
the support of the Katotohanan, Pagkakaisa at Serbisyo and tierra
Verde Hotel; and on Feb. 26-28 in Guimaras island off Iloilo City,
to cover the Visayas, with the assistance of the
UP Visayas Office of
Extension Studies and Continuing Education (UPV-OESCE) and Colmenares
Resort.
xx
.......The
videos to be produced by the seminar graduates who will total about a hundred
or so, will be shown simultaneously during Easter Sunday and the
following days in at least two sites in Metro Manila (Quezon Circle and
Earthlite at C.O.D.-Cubao) and in the cities of General Santos, Iloilo,
Puerto Princesa and Baguio. There will also be guest videos, like
short videos produced by Filipino environmentalist videomakers outside
the Ta-Noód Kalikasan process, and those produced
in other parts of Asia and brought here by the Environmental Broadcast
Circle (EBC).
xx
.......Ta-noód
Kalikasan is sponsored by L.G.
Collins and Land Bank of the Philippines, and works in partnership
with the EBC, Earthlite Foundation, and Earth Day
2000 Network - Philippines.
xx
.......Graduates
of the third Metro Manila seminar (Jan 29-31) were, alphabetically, Rachelle
F. Ambrosio, Alberto M. Banzon, Victorino Bayed, Cyrus P. Borja, Geraldine
T. Brillantes, Camille B. Castillo, Raul L. Castillo, Ma. Mutya L. Frio,
Bernadette G. Jimenez, Jose R. Nacu, MS, Thelma Partible, Florencio
V. Reyes, Joan T. Rivera, and Casimiro F. Villarosa, Jr.
xx
.......The
complete list of graduates in the Palawan seminar is still awaiting certification
by Ta-Noód Kalikasan's on-site coordinator Romy Lee
B. Ancheta.
xx
.......As
this developed, the graduates of the Ta-Noód Kalikasan
seminars given by Surf Reyes, now numbering 58, have formed an organizing
committee for an association of video-makers for the environment.
The organizing committee is composed of group coordinators in all the batches
and other volunteering seminar graduates.
xx
.......Meanwhile,
the festival organizers are encouraging environmental NGOs to participate
in the festival in a way that would enable them to raise additional funds
for their own projects. Organizations and individuals who can get sponsorships
and/or souvenir program ad placements are being offered a ten-percent commission.
TLP
may
be reached via telephone numbers 4263943 and 4106193.
Bulletin
No. 4-3 (February 15, 2000)
SanibLakas
to help launch
three
new 'green networks'
.
MANILA, February 15, 2000 (SanibLakas InfoShare) -- A closely-knit
"army" for Mother Nature, a loose network united on the basis of loving
all life, and an environmental movement of individual mountaineers are
all being helped through their birth pains by SanibLakas ng Taongbayan
Foundation, a synergism-oriented organization. All three would hopefully
emerge as new formations by the time of the Earth
Day 2000 festivities come April.
xx
.......The
first scheduled to be launched is HULIKA, short for Hukbong Lakas
ng Inang Kalikasan, which would combine diverse talents and capabilities
of a projected national membership to "apprehend," expose and stop violators
of environmental laws of nature and the state. According to Marie
Marciano, SanibLakas vice president and HULIKA project initiator,
the new "army" will start having its founding members very soon. There
will be three kinds of members, she explained, student-aged which would
be 20 years old and younger, regular, and executive (or sustaining) members
to be offered appropriate tasks in research and documentation, art and
culture, media work, networking and lobbying, and legal action. Interested
parties may reach Ms. Marciano via tel. no. 9271603.
xx
.......This
coming March, SanibLakas will be helping the Communicators League
for Environmental Action and Restoration (CLEAR) in pushing through
with an earlier project which had failed to get off the ground: the convening
of the first annual conference of an environmental movement of mountaineers.
It is hoped that such conference, mandated by individual signatures behind
a covenant to protect the safety and serenity of the mountains, would be
able to draw up appropriate resolutions and plans and create structures
and elect deserving leaders for the period leading up to the next annual
conference. Saniblakas board members Ed de Vera and Pinky Serafica
will team up for this effort, along with the organization's president and
CLEAR
secretary-general
Ed Aurelio Reyes. They will also tie up with former Ayala Mountaineers
leader Al Manaloto, now Haribon Foundation
executive director, "Adopt-A-mountain"
project director Chin-Chin Gutierrez, and Sikap-Bundok president
Rey Cuyugan.
xx
.......And
finally, this coming April 14, SanibLakas will midwife the birth
of the 'Love All Life!' awareness campaign network. Initial
networking has started for this formation, which is envisioned to bring
together biodiversity conservationists, human rights advocates, animal
lovers, vegetarians, biology teachers, environment educators, anti-abortion
campaigners, and health buffs.
xx
.......All
these would be assisted by SanibLakas mainly through facilitation
and consultancy for organization development. The foundation is planning
to pull out gradually from the picture as soon as these new formations
get stabilized.
Bulletin
No. 4-4 (February 15, 2000)
Sagip
Pasig announces annual awards
.
MANILA,
February 15, 2000 (SanibLakas InfoShare) -- Among the main events
scheduled to be held on April 22 are the Annual Fluvial Parade
and "Lason sa Ilog Awards," according to a news release issued
by the
Sagip Pasig Movement (SPM), organizer of these events.
xx
.......SPM
is
a coalition of 230 non-government and community-based organizations involved
in environmental advocacy, exerting "continuing efforts to promote a society
that works as one for a balanced ecosystem towards the improvement of life
for the succeeding generations.”
xx
.......For
seven years now, SPM has maintained the annual "Lason Awards"
– a mock award given to the top ten polluting firms along the Pasig River.
The "awards" are meant to focus the public’s attention on the industrial
sector as one of the biggest polluters of Pasig River. According
to recent studies of the government, industrial pollution accounts for
35% of the pollution of the Pasig River.
xx
......."The
Lason Awards has been one of the most-awaited activities during past Earth
Day celebrations," the SPM release said, adding that it " has been
so successful in convincing industries to focus on improving their wastewater
treatment facilities that most of previous years’ awardees are able to
receive the "Most Improved Industry Award" in the succeeding
year. To further encourage compliance in the industry sector, the
Dangal ng Ilog Pasig Awards was conceptualized through a consultation with
the industries.
xx
.......Major
SPM activities for this year's Earth Day, which falls on Black Saturday,
include the following:
xx
.......a)
the annual fluvial parade;
xx
.......b)
mounting of the stage play Jesus Christ Superstar; and
xx
.......c)
the Lason sa Ilog Pasig Awards.
xx
.......This
year’s event will be a unique one inasmuch as the year 2000 is the Jubilee
year and Earth Day shall fall on Black Saturday – a holy day of observance
for Catholics. As such, this year’s events shall incorporate religious
traditions with an environmental theme and take off from the Jubilee call
of “Rest for the Land”.
xx
.......The
same release invited Interested organizations to contact Pearl E. Martinez,
SPM executive director, at the 2nd Floor, FEBTC Bldg. 3, Muralla St. Intramuros,
Manila, with telephone numbers 527-4186 and 527-4349.
Bulletin
No. 4-5 (February 15, 2000)
Cebuano
NGOs set meet for E-day 2000
.
MANILA, February 15, 2000 (SanibLakas InfoShare) -- Twenty or so
non-government organizations covering the city and province of Cebu central
Philippines have scheduled a meeting on February 18 to plan their projects
and activities for Earth Day 2000.
.
.......Information
on this meeting was relayed to SanibLakas InfoShare by Ms. Rowena
Alensonorin, executive development officer for program development of the
Ramon
Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. , an NGO in Cebu that focuses on social
development.
xx
.......In
her communication to SanibLakas leader Ed Aurelio Reyes, Alensonorin
expressed keen interest to link up with other organizations for coordinated
activities.
She was initially referred to the Ta-Nood Kalikasan Videofest seminar to
be held in Guimaras Island off Iloilo by the end of the month (see related
story), and informed of the Earth Day
2000 information website, through
which the Cebu-based NGOs can find out more about ongoing national and
local preparations for the worldwide celebrations.
Bulletin
No. 4-6 (February 15, 2000)
'Kamayan'
forum to focus on youth
.
MANILA,
February 15, 2000 (SanibLakas InfoShare) --The youth will be the
focus of the 120th session of the Kamayan para sa Kalikasan
forum
on environment concerns convened monthly by the Communicators League
for Environmental Action and Restoration (CLEAR) since March 1990.
xx
......."The
youth as environmental co-workers now," is how the topic has been titled,
with invited guests representing such organizations as the
Youth for
Sustainable Development Assembly (YSDA), Environmental Action Students
Collective (EASC), National Youth Commission,
Young Writers
Assembly of the Philippines (YWAP), Miriam Environment Planning
Organization (MEPOrg), and Haribon Youth, among others.
Efforts are now being exerted to draw in the participation of leaders of
the Philippine scouting movement.
xx
.......Also
expected to attend are the some of the youthful graduates of the series
of video-making seminars of the Tanghalang Lakbay Pinoy's Ta-Nood
Kalikasan video festival project for Earth Day 2000 (see
related story above).
xx
.......Both
CLEAR
and its forum project, which has been sustained with the full support of
Kamayan Restaurant, will be celebrating tenth anniversary this coming March.
xx
.......Meanwhile,
friendly competition was the theme of the recent "Tagisan Para sa
Kalikasan", which included an "Environmental Inter-high school
Quiz," held last February 2nd at the University of the Philippines-ISMED.
"Tagisan" is an internal activity at UP-Diliman held yearly by the UP
Green League. The group's current president is Michelle Bernal.
xx
.......The
activity drew in the interest and participation of many people, especially
into the ecological waste management symposiums, forum and seminars. Most
of those who attended this symposium were teachers, there were also many
students, according to information sent by SanibLakas InfoShare
contributor Ickx Tan.. This, according to Tan, helps prepare awareness
levels for the coming commemoration of Earth Day 2000.
xx
.......Guests
at the affair included Von Hernandez of Greenpeace, Magnolia Danganan
of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Youth Desk,
and Metodio Palaypay of the Recycling Movement of the Philippines (Commonwealth
Base).
xx
.......Participants
in the "Environmental Inter-Quiz", a quiz bee, were high school level students
from: Miriam College, Ateneo de Manila, Ramon Magsaysay High School, Philippine
Science High School, Our Lord of Grace Montessori Academy, and the UP Integrated
High School.
Bulletin
No. 3-1 (January 19, 2000)
Earth Day
2000 Period'
launch
set for January 22
MANILA, January 19, 2000 (SanibLakas InfoShare) -- "Official" Earth
Day 2000 commemoration in the Philippines starts this coming Saturday,
January 22, with a launching affair scheduled by the Earth Day 2000
Network - Philippines
to start at 10:30 a.m. at the Miriam College
Environmental Education Center (EEC) along Katipunan Rd. in Quezon City,
and wind up with a picnic lunch at the Miriam's mini-forest. The launching
will be presided over by Raul Contreras, who has been designated "Philippine
coordinator" for the worldwide event, with former Environment and Natural
Resources Undersecretary Delfin Ganapin as secretary-general.The festival
organizers are encouraging environmental NGOs to participate in the festival
in a way that would enable them to raise additional funds for their own
projects. Organizations and individuals who can get sponsorships and/or
souvenir program ad placements are being offered a ten-percent commission.
In a press statement sent to SanibLakas InfoShare and other media
organizations, Earth Day 2000 Network - Philippines said: "Let’s
Be One! If you were not able to whoop it up with the rest of the world
during the millennium celebration, its not too late. The global community
is cooking up another grand bash for Earth Day 2000 with 500 million people
and more than 3,200 groups in 166 countries joining this grand festivity
on April 22."
The statement continued:
"Environmental groups and NGOs in the country have already committed their
participation by forming an Earth Day 2000 committee to harmonize different
activities which will take place in cities across the archipelago. This
committee aims to tie up grassroots groups, which have been dynamically
organizing for the annual Earth Day. Individuals and organizations are
seizing this event to focus on environmental issues in their communities
and call for change. Be a part of this force together with your friends
and family! Organize your own event or join in one. Interested parties
can register their activities, big or small, at the Earth Day 200 Network
Philippines Secretariat."
The following contact persons and numbers were enumerated: Raquel Tandug
- 4380053; Penny Velasco - 9333698; Marlo Mendoza - 4109670; Babes Ancheta
- 9403096; Bert Guevarra-8230230; Odette Alcantara / Sally Aguinaldo -
6471181.
An accompanying media advisory contained an invitation to the Launching
of "Earth Day 2000 Philippines, New Leaf, New Life,"
and a press briefing at the Miriam EEC, where the network's secretariat
will be based.
.
.Bulletin
No. 3-2 (January 19, 2000)
2nd video-making
seminar a success;
Visayas,
Mindanao skeds adjusted
.
MANILA, January 19, 2000 (SanibLakas InfoShare) -- The number of
short videos scheduled to be shown by Tanghalang Lakbay Pinoy during
the "Ta-Nood Kalikasan Video Festival for Earth Day 2000"
on Easter Week this coming April has almost doubled with the successful
holding of the second video-making seminar with 16 "amateur and aspiring
video-makers." Eighteen participants had earlier made up the first batch
(see Bulletin
No. 2-4).
TLP
has
targetted six three-day seminars in all, three in Metro Manila and the
other three in General Santos City in Socsargen, in Puerto Princesa City,
Palawan, and in either Iloilo City or the nearby island-province of Guimaras.
As this developed, the seminar originally set to be held in General
Santos this coming weekend has been postponed for three weeks to February
11-13, pushing back the schedule of the Iloilo/Guimaras seminar by a full
week.
The Palawan seminar will go on as scheduled on February 5-7, according
to the Ta-Nood Kalikasan Festival Organizing Committee which
is led by broadcast journalist and TLP head Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel as
executive producer and by Ed Aurelio (Ding) Reyes as festival organizer.
Ta-Nood
Kalikasan is supported by the Land Bank of the Philippines, L.
G. Collins, the Ateneo Institute of Social Order (ISO) and Miriam
College Environmental Education Center (EEC). TLP partners outside Metro
Manila include Kapayapaan, Pagkakaisa at Serbisyo (KPS, a non-government
organization) in General Santos, and the Palawan Media and Environment
Multi-purpose Cooperative, and the Crocodile Farm Institute, both in Puerto
Princesa City.
Sixteen participants graduated last Monday, January 17, from the seminar
portion of the workshop under the leadership of veteran film/video maker
and educator Surf Reyes. These second-batch participants who now
move on to the workshop-proper stage by producing their own short videos
on the environment are: Ma. Bernadette Agas, Robert Bahia, Benedict
Balderama, Albert Banico, Arsenia Casuay, Chito Dugan, Ferdinand Gaerlan,
Ma. Cristina Gonzales, Rosswil Hilario, Catherine Lagunzad, Roderick Macabugao,
Jade Moreno, Kenneth Tamayo, Sarah Yvette Tomacruz, Maricris Valencia,
and Edwin Zuñiga.
.Bulletin
No. 3-3 (January 19, 2000)
.
'Handshakes
& Hugs for Earth Synergy':
SanibLakas
starts worldwide project
MANILA, January 19, 2000 (SanibLakas InfoShare) A simple activity
with profound significance has been proposed last week as a world wide
project by SanibLakas ng Taongbayan (People's Synergy) Foundation,
which had earlier come out with the Earth Synergy 2000 poem/prayer, titled,
"A Giant Leap for Humankind." Immediate response has been
received from Russia and Southern Africa.
Dubbed "Handshakes and Hugs (Around the World) for Earth Synergy
2000," the project consists of holding big and small gatherings
of representatives of various nationalities "in as many places as possible
in as many countries as possible," to contemplate, discuss and chorus-recite
the poem/prayer. This sequence would be followed by applause to celebrate
the poem/prayer's essential message and "sealed with handshakes and hugs
all around." (click here for details--> )
SanibLakas
e-mailed the concept to scores of organizations and institutions that are
actively involved in the Earth Day 2000
activities in their respective countries in all the continents. The addressees
were asked to consider organizing their own "Handshakes and Hugs"
gatherings
in their own areas, or at least pass around the proposal.
Initial responses have been encouraging, with Vadim
Kalinin of ASEKO (Association for Environmental Education)
of
Russia vowing to send the message to more than 1,500 addressees in 15 countries
"from the Baltic to the Pacific," and Clare Holland of the Environmental
Education Association of Southern Africa (EEASA) making a commitment to
reach seven countries in Southern African region with the concept and appeal.
There
has also been positive feedback from within the Philippines, notably a
message from the spiritual and Earth-hugging television, stage and movie
actress Chin-Chin Gutierrez (click here for texts of responses-->).
.
Hard copies of the "Handshakes and Hugs" concept paper were
given this morning to key officials of the United Nations system in the
Philippines, namely, Ms. Ricarda Reiger, Deputy Resident Representative
of the UN Development Programme (UNDP); Anthony T. Ambahan, Regional
Youth Advisor for Asia-Pacific of the UN Environment Program (UNEP), and
Luis Torres, Information Officer of the UN Information Center (UNIC) in
Manila. Saniblakas will soon give copies to the embassies, cultural
exchange associations and institutions, expatriate groups, as well as to
the Department of Foreign Affairs for distribution to the Philippine embassies
worldwide.
.Bulletin
No. 3-4 (January 19, 2000)
.
'Kalikasan
Vigilante' kicks off
Luzon-wide
E-Day caravan in March
.
..
MANILA, January 19, 2000 (SanibLakas InfoShare) -- A roadshow for
environmental concerns will take the shape of a caravan this coming March
and April, traversing the entire length of Luzon island from Aparri in
Cagayan to Sorsogon in the Bicol Region. This would be the main Earth
Day 2000 project of "Kalikasan Vigilante,"
a two-hour late-afternoon daily program over DZBR (104.3 mHz), the government's
"Business Radio."
This was announced by producer-anchorman Vic O. Milan, who would
lead the caravan and air his program from wherever he would be along the
route at regular broadcast time. In an interview with SanibLakas InfoShare,
Milan said the caravan would have a core group of about 20 vehicles, to
be supported by local motorcades that would escort them in and out of the
towns, cities and provinces along the route.
The "Kalikasan Vigilante Caravan" will kick off from
Metro Manila at a still to be determined date this coming March, pass through
the provinces of Bulacan, Pampanga, Bataan, Zambales, Pangasinan, La Union,
Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte, Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Nueva Ecija,
Quezon, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Albay and Sorsogon, and be back
in Manila in time for the Earth Day
2000 commemoration here.
At stopovers in cities, provincial capitals and other major towns, caravan
participants will hold discussions with local folks on environmental issues
and conduct crash courses on solid waste management, with the support of
the "Linis-Ganda" group led by garbology expert Narda Camacho.
The project is being supported by Caltex Philippines, with new "environment-friendly
products" to promote, and by the Department of Environment and Natural
Resources.
.
Milan, a veteran broadcaster and columnist, is also the founding president
of the Communicators' League for Environmental Action and Restoration (CLEAR)
a tri-media organization which has been convening the monthly "Kamayan
para sa Kalikasan" environmental forum for almost 10 years now.
.
Bulletin
No. 3-5 (January 19, 2000)
.
2000
to join youth E-Day
pilgrimage
around Banahaw
.
MANILA, January 19, 2000 (SanibLakas InfoShare) -- Imagine about
2,000 people, mostly youth, walking from town to town around the "mystical
mountain" that is Mt. Banahaw. Tentatively titled "Lakbay Kalikasan
sa Bundok Banahaw, A Pilgrimage for the Environment," the affair
will bring that big a number of mostly-urban-based youth in close contact
with the communities in those Laguna, Batangas and Quezon towns ringing
Banahaw, a world-renowned pilgrimage destination.
.
This is what the Youth Sustainable Development Assembly (YSDA) is
planning and actually preparing for the Earth
Day 2000 commemoration come April,
according to Roy Cabonegro, YSDA secretary general. In an
Interview with Saniblakas InfoShare, Cabonegro said there would
be a core force of 200 YSDA members and volunteers, including mountaineers.
.
Headed by Edwin Monares as chairman, YSDA embraces 18 member-organizations,
covering local networks in Metro Manila, Bicol, Palawan and Socsargen.
Lakbay
Kalikasan sa Bundok Banahaw project coordinator is Ben-Hur Bobis.
YSDA has its office at 6 Malinis st., UP Village, Quezon City, and may
be reached through telephone number 9216556.
YSDA Y
Bulletin
No. 3-6 (January 19, 2000)
.
E-Day
international network
shares
info; another gives award
MANILA, January 19, 2000 (SanibLakas InfoShare) -- Various international
networks have been providing national and local environment groups with
valuable information on preparatory and ongoing activities in commemoration
of Earth Day 2000.
.
.
One of them, the Earth Day 2000 International Network, headed by
Earth Day founder Dennis  Hayes
as chairman, with Mark Dubois and Shalini Ramanathan as coordinators, builds
links with affiliated country networks, publishes an on-line magazine
on environmental issues, maintains a website, and releases bulletins on
goings-on worldwide. It links 4,000 groups in 167 countries. (click
here for more info ---)).
.
Another
organization, Planetpals, with a website of its own, also provides
information and gives awards to groups on various countries, including
the SanibLakas ng Taongbayan Foundation in the Philippines.
.
Earth Day 2000 International Network recently issued a release on events
in a number of world capitals, which was received through the e-mail by
SanibLakas
InfoShare:
.
--Mexico City, Mexico:.
CONAE, Union de Grupos Ambientalistas, and Mexico City, Mexico. CONAE,
Union de Grupos Ambientalistas, and other groups and agencies are coming
together to create a major Earth Day event to educate people about clean
energy.
.
--Rio de Janeiro/Sao
Paulo, Brazil. Earth Day in Brazil will be part of the activities being
organized to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the arrival of the Portuguese
in Brazil.
.
--Beijing, China.
The Earth Day 2000 China Committee is planning a major campaign with a
February media launch and a week of activities in April, including a Celebration
Ceremony in Beijing with music, speeches, and a photo exhibit.
.
--Sydney, Australia.
There will be a large Critical Mass bicycle rally.
.
--Tokyo, Japan.
Earth Day 2000 Japan is coordinating a bike rally, shutting down streets
in the heart of the city to cars, and focusing attention on air pollution.
.
--Seoul, South Korea.
The Korea Earth Day Coalition and KFEM are organizing an Earth Day fair
and a bike rally which will shut down streets to cars. The event will be
held simultaneously with the event in Tokyo, Japan.
.
--Rome, Italy.
Legambiente, the Country Coordinator for Italy, will coordinate a major
block-off of city streets to cars in Rome and in 100 other cities in Italy.
.
--Warsaw, Poland.
A clean energy fair and picnic will be held at Pola Mokotowskie Park in
Warsaw on April 30th. The event, which will cap a month of Earth Day activity,
will involve 60,000 people.
.
--Dhaka, Bangladesh.
A coalition of groups, led by ESDO, is organizing a series of Earth Day
events, which will culminate in a rally that will involve 20,000 people.
.
--Johannesburg,
Cape Town and Durban, South Africa. Our Country Coordinator, GroundWork,
will launch a campaign in South Africa calling for an improvement in legislation
and policy around the oil refining industry in South Africa.
.
--Taipei, Taiwan.
50,000 people will attend an Earth Day concert and environmental fair at
Chiang Kai Shek Square.
.
--Lagos, Nigeria.
NGOs from around the country will be organizing to protest environmental
injustices surrounding the fossil fuel industry, and will bring attention
to the necessity of clean energy alternatives.
.
--Istanbul, Turkey.
There will be a parade and concert in Taksim Square.
.
--Washington D.C.,
USA. Hundreds of thousands of people will take part
in a huge Earth
Fair, featuring a solar powered stage with national
musical acts and
speakers.
.
Meanwhile, Judith Gorgone of Planetpals wrote an e-mail message
to Saniblakas Foundation to say: "Congratulations! For your work
on Earthday Synergy 2000. Your site has been awarded the The Planetpals
'Clean Planet Award' which is given to specially selected
websites that are of high quality, promote concern for the environment,
by encouraging recycling, ecology, earth sciences, either through school
projects or valuable website content." (click
here for complete message text and award logo --)
Bulletin
No. 2-1 (December 15, 1999)
.
Promote
'Earth Charter,' Earth Day 2000
organizers
in the Philippines urged
MANILA, December 15, 1999 (SanibLakas InfoShare) -- Several organizers
for the Philippine commemoration of Earth
Day 2000 were asked to promote a wider  popular
consciousness in the country about the "Earth Charter" process
which traces its origins to the United Nations Conference on Environment
and Development (UNCED) summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1992 and will
be completed in 2002.
.
Sixto K. Roxas, chairman of the Philippine Institute of Alternative
Futures (PIAF) and Maraya Chebat, who has been active in the "Earth
Charter" process, met last Monday with Odette Alcantara, Helen
Mendoza, David Pollard, Delfin Ganapin and other early organizers for the
Earth
Day 2000 commemoration in Philippines,
to convey and explain the appeal and to brainstorm possible joint projects.
.
They resolved to organize a song-writing project to popularize the "Earth
Charter" in the context of celebrating the first Earth Day of the
new millennium. They agreed to meet again to thresh out details.
Bulletin
No. 2-2 (December 15, 1999)
'Earthlite'
venue offered as 'home'
for Earth
Day preparatory meetings
.
MANILA, December 15, 1999 (SanibLakas InfoShare) -- Earthlite,
the "Wholistic Place" at the 4th floor of the well-known C.O.D. Building
in Cubao, Quezon City, has been
offered as free venue for meetings of organizations and networks preparing
for the Philippine commemoration of Earth
Day 2000.
.
Earthlite President Dita Sandico-Ong decided last Monday to "offer Earthlite
as the home" of such preparatory meetings, saying those who would want
to avail themselves of the free venue simply have to coordinate with the
Earthlite administration office for space management purposes. "There's
actually plenty of space," she said.
.
Earthlite participated in last April's Earth Day 1999 celebration
with a special environmentalist "fashion show" held right at the venue.
Its administration office can be reached at telefax number 9127004.
Bulletin
No. 2-3 (December 15, 1999)
.
New
Writers' Group Bats
for Environmental
Advocacy
.
MANILA, December 15, 1999 (SanibLakas InfoShare) -- Environmental
advocacy was acclaimed as a key thrust by a new organization of youthful
writers which was formalized in a founding assembly recently. And in preparation
for Earth Day 2000, the newly-formed Young Writers Assembly of the Philippines
(YWAP) will continue with its signature campaign started months ago by
its founders galvanizing a unity of writers and other communicators behind
a 10-year-old declaration of commitment "to help rescue the environment."
.
YWAP officers elected in the founding assembly of November 28 were Allan
R. Somido, as president; Ramon Mauricio, vice-president; Gregorio V. Bituin
Jr., secretary-general; Glenn Torrenueva, treasurer; Archie Millares,
auditor; Larry Diala, organizing and membership officer; Ramon B.
Miranda, education officer; and Antonio Somido Jr., databanking and research
officer.
.
"Our signature drive for the Communicators' Commitment to Help Rescue the
Environment, was started as early as last July," YWAP secretary-general
and concurrent head of its environment desk, told SanibLakas InfoShare.
In an interview last week, Bituin said the original document was drafted
and adopted by the Communicators' League for Environmental Action and Restoration
(CLEAR), a loose alliance of mediapersons and artists which has been convening
a monthly forum on environmental concerns since its founding in March 1990.
That declaration became the basis of unity of CLEAR which is headed by
Vic O. Milan as founding president.
.
"The idea is to have more and more writers and other communicators feel
and declare their responsibility in molding the public opinion behind the
urgently needed popular advocacy of environmental conservation and restoration.,"
Bituin added.
He said "Environmental protection is one of the key principles of YWAP"
and pointed out Article 2, Section 11 of the YWAP Constitution, which states:
“The YWAP believes in environmental protection. Writers and journalists,
as effective communicators, should be seriously concerned over the
present conditions and accelerating further deterioration of our
environment, and therefore, should mount a sustained and organized consciousness
campaign among the rest of the citizenry to be active in helping rescue
the environment.”
Bulletin
No. 2-4 (December 15, 1999)
Ta-noód
Kalikasan: First Video-Making
Seminar
Successful; 4 more scheduled
.
MANILA, December 15, 1999 (SanibLakas InfoShare) -- The first three-day
seminar on video-making under the 'Ta-noód Kalikasan Video
Festival for Earth Day 2000
was successfully held last Dec. 4-6 at the Miriam College Environmental
Education Center (EEC) in Quezon City with 18 participants, and with veteran
video- and film-maker Surf Reyes as training facilitator.
.
Organized by Tanghalang Lakbay-Pinoy, a travelling theater outfit
headed by television journalist Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel, the seminar kicked
off a workshop production process that would produce short videos for public
showing at the Earth Day 2000 weeklong
festival on the Easter Week this coming April. The first seminar
was held with the co-sponsorship of the Ateneo Institute of Social Order
(ISO).
Four more seminars have been scheduled for the start of 2000: January 15-17
in Metro Manila; January 22-24 in General Santos City in Mindanao; January
29-31 again in Manila; and February 5-7 in Puerto Princesa City in Palawan.
.
The participants in the first seminar were, alphabetically, Christina Banluta,
Krtistina N. Bantiles, Gregorio V. Bituin Jr., Florenda V. Cachola, Donna
P. Cariño, Giovanni H. Concha, Rosabella D. Fernandez, Christy G.
Hofer, Felix I. Isidro, Chona S. Narvades, Belyn E. Rafael, Mar Raynera,
Fernando B. de los Reyes, Joydee C. Robledo, Ricardo R. Santiago, Jewel
C. Sico, Anna Maria S. Torres, and Daniel S. Torres.
Bulletin
No. 2-5 (December 15, 1999)
.
Government
environment body:
'No plans
yet' for E-Day'
.
MANILA,
December 15, 1999 (SanibLakas InfoShare) -- The government's Department
of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has not yet started planning
for the commemoration this April of Earth
Day 2000, the first such commomoration
in the new millennium.
.
"This will be discussed in the context of year-long planning which will
be done within the next few days," according to a high-ranking DENR official
who asked not o be identified. In a phone interview with SanibLakas InfoShare,
the official vowed to help the cyber-based media organization propagate
the plans as soon as these are made and finalized.
Bulletin
No. 1-1 (December 1, 1999)
Info-sharing
project for Earth Day 2000 |
activities
in the Philippines launched
MANILA, December 1|(SanibLakas
InfoShare) -- This news report heralds the launch today of the
SanibLakas
InfoShare coverage of Earth
Day 2000 activities in the Philippines,
the third coverage of this kind underaken by the SanibLakas ng Taongbayan
Foundation, a synergism-oriented organization.
..
Launched in partnership with the Philippine News & Features (PNF)
and other Manila-based cyber-media organizations for much wider coverage
and dissemination, SanibLakas InfoShare
for Earth Day 2000 has actually been
designed as a multi-media project. It will be using -- aside from cyber-media
-- printed publications, radio, television, fax, and physical bulletin
boards,
a package designed to reach all interested individuals, institutions, organizations,
agencies and communities across the Philippine archipelago and around the
world. The cyber-magazines involved are
Leg
Manila, and Local Vibe.
..
Also being launched today is the SanibLakas
InfoShare on
Partnerships,
that will carry reports on joint statements and joint actions of distinct
organizations. The first bulletin carries an account of the recent bilateral
conference between the Philippine cooperative movement and the provincial
governments represented by their governors and officers for cooperative
affairs. Alliance-wide actions and statements not explicitly signed by
individual member-entities will be treated as single-organization matters
and will not be carried.
.
For this project, SanibLakas Foundation is inviting the convenors,
facilitators and participants in such partnerships to submit all vital
information at the e-mail address, "infoshare@saniblakas.faithweb.com".
.
SanibLakas
has
earlier issued statements/messages
to propagate its poem/prayer "Earth Synergy 2000: A Giant Leap for Humankind";
to propose a commemoration framework taking into account that this coming
April 22, Earth Day 2000 itself, will coincide with Black Saturday;
and to issue a challenge for a broad and healthy unity in spirit among
all groups and individuals with Earth Day-related projects and activities.
(SanibLakas
InfoShare)
Bulletin
No. 1-2 (December 1, 1999)
Organizers
preparing grand festival|
for Earth
Day 2000 in April
MANILA, December 1|(SanibLakas
InfoShare) --- The organizers and participants of the successful
multi-organization festival for Earth Day last April have started preparing
for a much bigger commemoration next year Earth
Day 2000, the first Earth Day of the
new millennium. Already listed as specific plans are exhibits, educational
fora, spiritual ceremonies, concerts and video showings, a "green tiyangge"
(bazaar), biking and walking marathons, and other activities under
34 headings forming a creative grid,
with dozens of organizations behind them. Under preparation, as well, is
a website dedicated to this festival.
.
According to environment activist and artist Odette Alcantara, chair of
the program committee of a wide Philippine network for Earth Day 2000 festivities,
there are 15 well-known Filipinos who have agreed to be convenors of a
loose network for the Earth Day 2000 commemoration in the country, which
forms part of the Earth Day 2000
Worldwide Network.
These include Tourism Sec. Gemma Cruz, former Senator Helena Benitez, UN
Global 500 Awardee Sr. Aida Velasquez, civil society leader Isagani Serrano,
and former Quezon City Vice Mayor Charito Planas.
.
Interviewed last Sunday by SanibLakas InfoShare, Alcantara said
she and Mother Earth Unlimited (Foundation) president Raul Contreras have
gone on a leave of absence from their respective responsibilities in the
organization to concentrate on responsibilities they have taken on in the
broad networking and coordination work for the Philippine celebration.
Contreras has assumed the role of overall coordinator, with former Environment
Undersecretary Delfin Ganapin as assistant coordinator, Alcantara said,
adding that Mother Earth will be one among dozens of participating organizations.
Philippine Earth Day 1999 Roy Alvarez and Marie Marciano, who will be busy
with their own Earth Day 2000
projects, will be staying on as members of the steering committee, she
said.
.
Meanwhile, the leadership of Haribon Foundation, the eldest among the active
environmentalist organizations in the Philippines, meets today, December
1, to finalize its broad-ranging plans for Earth
Day 2000.
According
to Dr. Helen Nolasco-Mendoza, Haribon president, the various sections of
the Haribon network will all have projects and activities. Interviewed
by SanibLakas InfoShare last Sunday, Mendoza promised to give details
of these plans in time for our second bulletin.
.
Bulletin
No. 1-3 (December 1, 1999)
.
'Ta-nood
Kalikasan':
Video training
workshop
for Earth Day starts Dec. 4
.
MANILA, December 1|(SanibLakas
InfoShare) --- The first in a series of video training workshops
onducted under the "Ta-nood Kalikasan" video festival organized
by Tanghalang Lakbay Pinoy (TLP) starts on Saturday, December 4, at the
Environment Education Center of Miriam College in Quezon City. The festival
will culminate in the week-long commemoration of Earth
Day 2000 this coming April.
.
According to broadcast journalist Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel, TLP head and
"Ta-nood
Kalikasan" executive producer, the festival's "organizing committee
is excited to combine environmental advocacy with the power of vivid moving
images." Interviewed by SanibLakas InfoShare, she added: "We
hope that this will be just the first in a series of festivals harnessing
this power at the service of various important concerns like Philippine
history."
.
Twenty participants will discuss principles of videomaking and have workshop
practicums under veteran filmmaker Surf Reyes, founding director of the
Mowelfund Film Institute, the Laboratory on Value Education (LOVE) Foundation
and Cintel Productions.
The first workshop is co-sponsored by the Ateneo Institute of Social Order
(ISO), where the participants will be billetted. Two more workshops are
scheduled to be held in Metro Manila and General Santos City this coming
January. (SanibLakas InfoShare)
|
.....
.