CALL FOR PARTICIPATION - 5th National Conference in Human Ecology

5th National Conference in Human Ecology
November 26-27, 2010, UP Los Banos, College, Laguna

Theme: Keeping Human Ecology Moving, Human Ecologists Engaging

Objectives of the Conference:

1. To review and recommend the role(s) of human ecology in attaining human centered, self-reliant and ecologically stable communities in the country
2. To discover and document best practices in multi/interdisciplinary studies and application towards sustainable towns and cities
3. To facilitate sharing and learning experiences among believers and practitioners in/of human ecology


Hosted by: UPLB College of Human Ecology, CHE Alumni Association, and Human Ecology Institute of the Philippines, Inc. (HUMEIN-Phils)

Possible Topics:

- Good Governance: local government planning and practices; integrated population, health, and environment (PHE) governance, integrating nutrition considerations in development planning, environmental governance and green politics, special education, social services delivery
- Community-Based and/or Ecosystems-Based Resource Management: coastal resources management, watershed management, reef-to-ridge resource planning and management, disaster risk management and climate change adaptation, planning for new settlements, human settlements rehabilitation, etc.
- Poverty Alleviation through: sustainable livelihoods, social entrepreneurship, micro-enterprises, corporate social responsibility, eco-tourism, etc.

For more information, please email: conference@humein-phils.org. See also HUMEIN's website at http://www.humein-phils.org/

7 of 10 Filipinos Believe Climate Change Dangerous to Environment, Families - Survey

7 of 10 Pinoys believe climate change dangerous to environment, families - survey

Source: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=603478&publicationSubCategoryId=63
By Helen Flores and Amanda Fisher (The Philippine Star)
Updated August 17, 2010 12:00 AM Comments (6)


MANILA, Philippines - Seven of every 10 Filipinos acknowledge the dangers posed by climate change to the environment, with Metro Manila residents voicing the biggest concern, results of the latest Pulse Asia “Ulat ng Bayan” survey show.

According to the survey, the percentage of Filipinos who are worried about the dangers of climate change has gone up to 71 percent from 61 percent two years ago.

Pulse Asia also said the figure was a high 84 percent in Metro Manila, possibly because of tropical storm “Ondoy” last year which flooded most of the capital and killed close to 500 people.

It also attributed the rising awareness about climate change among Metro Manila’s 12 million residents to a drought this year that caused severe water shortage.

The same survey also showed that 21 percent of Filipinos believe God is punishing humans for their evil deeds by inflicting environmental catastrophes on them, although the figure is lower than the 23 percent recorded two years ago. The Philippines is predominantly Roman Catholic.

The survey was conducted from July 1 to 11 and involved interviews with 1,200 respondents.

Based on the survey, two in three Filipinos noticed a “big change” in the country’s climate over the past three years, and almost half said they had “little or no knowledge” of the climate change phenomenon.

The survey also found that 66 percent of Filipinos experienced a big change in climate in their places in the past three years.

On the other hand, 11 percent of respondents said there was little change in the climate in their areas during the period, while 23 percent were undecided on the matter. Public ambivalence was most pronounced in Mindanao (33 percent) and the least in Metro Manila (12 percent) and the Visayas (14 percent).

“Between July 2008 and July 2010, more Filipinos felt a big change in the climate in their place (+8 percentage points) while slightly fewer expressed ambivalence on the matter (-6 percentage points),” Pulse Asia said.

Almost 80 percent of Metro Manilans – the highest in the country – noted a big change in local climate. Metro Manila residents who claimed knowledge of climate change made up 63 percent, based on the survey.

In Mindanao, 52 percent of respondents have reported little or no knowledge of climate change. Similarly, the region had the smallest percentage of residents across the country that had noticed a big change in climate, at only 58 percent.

Meanwhile, two thirds of the respondents said recent weather-related calamities in the country and around the world were primarily the result of “human-induced environmental destruction.”

Sixty-three percent of survey respondents expressed belief that the various calamities that hit the Philippines and other countries in recent months had been the result of “humanity’s environmentally destructive ways.”

On the other hand, two in 10 Filipinos see these calamities as “God’s way of warning or punishing countries that have turned evil ways.”

Fourteen percent of respondents believe these calamities are only part of a process that naturally occurs worldwide.

The good news is more Filipinos are ready to take action, like recycling and segregating waste as well as planting trees. Up to 30 percent of those surveyed said they were willing to do more for the environment, such as educate others. However, 10 percent said they would not do anything more to protect the environment.

Pulse Asia describes climate change as “any long-term significant change in the average weather that a given region experiences.”

Asked to comment on the Pulse Asia survey, Science Undersecretary Graciano Yumul said there is a need to intensify the campaign to educate the public on climate change.

“What we are experiencing now is not ordinary. There are a lot of changes attributable to both man-induced climate change and natural variability. Enhanced information campaign understandable to our people about this issue needs to be done,” he said in text message to The STAR.

“We are in the midst of climate-related uncertain times,” Yumul added.

U.P. SYSTEM-WIDE FORUM ON "REDUCING RISKS AND DISASTERS DUE TO RAINFALL VARIABILITY"

IN MEMORIAM GOVERNOR EMILIO "DODO" MACIAS II, NEGROS ORIENTAL

This blog joins the people of Negros Oriental in mourning for the death of its beloved Governor, Hon. Emilio "Dodo" Macias II, who succumbed to death due to multiple complications caused by liver cancer. He died on June 13,2010, Sunday, at 3 a.m. at the National Kidney and Transplant Institute in Quezon City. He was airlifted to the said hospital immediately after the May 10 elections where he won another term as Governor.

Like the deceased Naujan Mayor Romar Marcos of Oriental Mindoro (see story below), Governor Dodo Macias became one of our subjects for our cases of successful "green politicians" for our study entitled, "Green Vote in Philippine Politics: The May 10, 2010 Elections." Both won another term but died immediately after their re-election. Hard work in governance plus physical exhaustion, stress, and emotional heartaches could have contributed to the complications of their illnesses. Maybe our hardworking green politicians should also think about their health, not just their missions in protecting Mother Earth and improving the lives of their constituents. Their loss is also ours; we will have fewer environmental allies at the local government level. For more information about the legacies of Governor Dodo, please read the column of Prof. Leonor M. Briones, a respected teacher in the U.P. National College of Public Administration and Governance, and a native of the beautiful Dumaguete City of Negros Oriental.

Governor Dodo will be remembered when we publish our study.

Newsclippings:

1. http://leonormbriones.blogspot.com/2010/06/so-long-dodo.html
2. http://www.negor.gov.ph/

IN MEMORIAM MAYOR ROMAR MARCOS, MUNICIPALITY OF NAUJAN, ORIENTAL MINDORO

This blogspot joins the people of the Municipality of Naujan, Oriental Mindoro, in mourning for the untimely demise of its beloved Mayor, Honorable Romar G. Marcos, who was just recently re-elected to his post during the May 10, 2010 elections. Mayor Marcos died today, June 8, 4:30 a.m. at the Philippine General Hospital due to a liver ailment.

Mayor Marcos will be remembered for pursuing "environmental protection" as part of his development plans encapsuled in the acronym HEART which stands for: H for health; E for education, environment and employment; A for agriculture and livelihood; R for roads and infrastructure; and T for tourism, trade and telecommunications. He made headlines in Or. Mindoro when he questioned the construction of gabion in 2006 in Barangay San Andres which he thought caused the severe flashloods in his municipality since then. In January 2010, a sudden flashflood in Naujan caused the death of two Naujenos. Mayor Marcos led the rescue operations.

Mayor Marcos was one of our "green politicians" who accepted our invitation to be a case study in the research study entitled, "Green Vote in Philippine Politics: The May 10, 2010 Elections" which will be presented at the latter part of this year. In our modest way, we will remember and honor Mayor Marcos through this study.

News clippings:
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/regions/view/20100608-274528/Reelectionist-Mindoro-Or-mayor-passes-away
http://mindoropost.com/2010/01/19/flood-leaves-trail-of-devastation-in-naujan/
http://en.wordpress.com/tag/romar-marcos/

NCPAG promotes “green vote”

NCPAG promotes “green vote”
KIM Quilinguing



To promote environmental issues as a run-up to the forthcoming elections, the UP Samahan Tungo sa Progresibong Administrasyon (UP-STPA) and the UP Diliman National College of Public Administration and Governance (UPD NCPAG) organized on February 3, 2010 the forum “Mga Kandidato ng Kalikasan at Kapaligiran: May Boboto Ba?” at the NCPAG Assembly Hall.

The forum was one of the launching activities of the College’s “Green Vote, Green Growth Movement.” Spearheaded by Prof. Ebinezer Florano, the movement aims to scrutinize the environmental agenda of political groups and candidates. The forum guests included presidential candidate Nicanor Perlas, vice presidential candidate Loren Legarda, senatorial candidate Nereus Acosta, and Roy Cabonegro of Partido Kalikasan ng Pilipinas as speakers.

Legarda spoke of the Philippines’ lack of implementation of its environmental laws. She also talked of the difficulty of mustering enough support for environmental legislation, since her colleagues prefer to focus more on employment, poverty, or national security. Legarda even complained that if not for natural disasters, nobody would have paid attention to her environmental bills.

Cabonegro, secretary general of Partido Kalikasan ng Pilipinas, urged government to shift from its neo-liberal policies on the environment toward a policy which would involve local communities and local government. Cabonegro favored a 25-year ban on commercial logging and a moratorium on mining by foreign firms.

For his part, Acosta said that one reason for the lack of implementation of environmental laws is the government’s inability to define protected areas. Acosta also wanted to disprove the notion that environmental protection runs counter to business.

Perlas, however, warned the audience of an environmental crisis. He cited Acosta’s presentation which showed the rise in sea levels in the next 20 to 25 years and the extreme typhoons and droughts. Perlas emphasized the need for re-structuring population centers to better equip them to respond to disasters. He insisted that “green issues” should be viewed as life-or-death questions.

Professor Leonor Briones of NCPAG called for “climate sensitive agendas” and policies that will develop citizens to be environmental conservationists. She also questioned the current practice of relegating the handling of calamity funds to the Office of the President, instead of to units and organizations directly involved in climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction.

Source: http://www.up.edu.ph/upnewsletter.php?issue=63&i=1138

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS ON HOW TO CHOOSE GREEN CANDIDATES

By
Rina Jimenez-David

1. Thou shall not vote for candidates using the 4Cs to win: Guns, Goons, Gold, and Garbage. Vote for candidates who stand for the essential Ms in the genuine exercise of the right of suffrage: Malinis, Maayos, Matipid, Mapanindigan, Marangal, Mapayapa, Makatao, Maka-kalikasan, and Maka-Diyos. Support candidates known for their simple, pro-people and ecological lifestyle.

2. Thou shall not support candidates who nail, staple, strap or plaster campaign materials on defenseless trees and other restricted sites. Vote for candidates who plant and love trees, use the least amount of campaign materials and abide by the campaign rules.

3. Thou shall not pick candidates who use smoke-belching vehicles that contribute to worsening air quality. Go for candidates on bicycles rather than those who come in convoy of cars. Vote for those who use fewer vehicles in motorcades to reduce fuel consumption and car emissions.

4. Thou shall not fall for candidates who make beautiful speeches about their love for the people and the environment but fail to match their words with deeds. Does the candidate walk his talk? Check if he/she is engaged in any environmental advocacy or project, or has financial interest in any polluting or environmentally-destructive business. Vote for those who live by what they say.

5. Thou shall not select candidates who profess to protect the environment, but are mute on what they intend to do. Ask the candidates, point-blank, how they intend to serve the interest of the environment. Vote for those who will work earnestly to heal and protect the environment.

6. Thou shall not choose candidates who are hooked to the outmoded “hakot-tambak-sunog” and fail to shut down illegal dumps. Vote for those who segregate their discards at home and in the work place and support ecological, low-cost and community-driven alternatives to dumps, landfills and incinerators.

7. Thou shall not vote for candidates who ignore the health, environmental, socio-economic and human rights concerns against “sanitary” landfills, “waste-to-energy,” dams and similar infrastructure plans. Vote for candidates who assert the people’s sovereign rights to a clean, safe and healthy environment. Go for candidates who will work for sustainable economy that will respond to people’s basic needs and not to the dictates of the World Bank and other international funding institutions.

8. Thou shall not elect candidates who want to build big dams and allow mining, logging and other extractive industries to rape our land and abuse human rights, especially the rights of our indigenous peoples. Vote for those who will take up the cudgels for the human as well as non-human victims, such as trees, plants and wildlife, of environmentally-damaging human activities.

9. Thou shall not back candidates who will not take action against the health and safety threats of genetically modified crops and food products. Vote for candidates who will advance the people’s right to safe and healthy food as well as food production systems that nurture the earth.

10. Thou shall not vote for candidates who refuse to acknowledge global warming. Vote for candidates who see the need for preventive and precautionary actions to stop climate change. For instance, go for candidates who oppose new coal power projects and support community-owned utilities using renewable energy sources.

Source: Magis Deo (2007), "Vote for Green Candidates," available at http://www.magisdeo.org/wcm/content/view/68/1/ (Viewed on 10 January 2010).