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).

MAR ROXAS: CLIMATE CHANGE IS NOT MY PRIORITY

We now know the position of Vice-Presidential Candidate Mar Roxas on environment and climate change. In the recently-held Vice-Presidential Debate, Roxas belittled Senator Loren Legarda’s prioritization of climate change and the environment (see press release below from Roxas’ Senate office) in her agenda. He does not believe or maybe he does not know “Green Growth” – that economic development can be achieved while protecting the environment. He probably does not know that “Green Growth” has been adopted as a paradigm for development in the Asia-Pacific region since 2005 by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) (http://www.greengrowth.org/). Moreover, he probably does not know that South Korea, one of the economic tigers in Asia, has been pursuing “Low Carbon, Green Growth” under the leadership of its environmentalist President, Lee Myung-Bak, since 2008 (http://www.unep.org/pdf/OP_Feb/EN/OP-2010-02-EN-ARTICLE1.pdf). Finally, and the most important, Roxas probably does not know that the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) has adopted “green growth” as a strategy for the 2010-2016 Medium-Term Philippine Development Plan (MTPDP) (http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/235678/neda-pushes-green-growth-dev-t-plan). Will Roxas ignore the MTPDP if it goes against his “priority”?

The GVGG Movement believes that there should be a top-ranking environmental officer (President or Vice-President) at the executive branch (aside from the Environment Secretary) to help balance the politics of environment-development debate in the national government. Roxas has made his position known and we heard it loud and clear. Hence, the GVGG Movement now declares its unequivocal support for the candidacy of LOREN LEGARDA for Vice-President of the Philippines. VOTE FOR LOREN LEGARDA FOR VICE-PRESIDENT ON MAY 10, 2010.

Press Release
March 27, 2010
ROXAS ADVOCACY CENTERED ON JOB CREATION, ECONOMIC STABILITY

Liberal vice presidential candidate Senator Mar Roxas did not have any intention to set aside the Climate Change issue during Sunday's "Harapan: The Vice Presidential Debate."

Roxas said perennial VP survey second-placer Loren Legarda deliberately twisted his motive when he asked about her keen interest on the subject to give the public the false impression that he did not care about the environment.

"The point I was making in the debate is that Senadora and I have an honest difference of opinion of what should be the priority for the next Vice President, the next government and for every Filipino family," Roxas explained.

Unlike Legarda whose campaign is centered on her environment advocacy, Roxas firmly believes the administration should focus on job creation, higher wages, and lower prices of critical goods and services like medicines, food and education. "That is what I will be working on," he promised.

He added: "This is an honest difference of opinion. There is really no need for Senadora to engage in political name-calling. I'm disappointed. The voters deserve better than that."

Legarda, the day after the vice presidential debate, publicly rebuked Roxas for allegedly belittling the impact of Climate Change in the country and said this showed his ignorance and insensitivity to the people threatened by the effects of food and water shortage - two of the adverse consequences of the El Niño phenomenon. She offered to give Roxas a tutorial on Climate Change issues.

"Let me thank Senadora for her offer. But actually, I know quite a bit about both climate change and environmental issues," he said, adding: "I am confident in the wisdom and intelligence of the Filipino to choose what is most important to them and for the nation. I choose job creation, and making prices affordable."

Source: http://www.senate.gov.ph/press_release/2010/0327_roxas1.asp

This press release is a damage-control measure because what was really evident during the debate was Roxas' condescending attitude on Legarda's environmental and climate change advocacies. Roxas' remarks really show his ignorance about global cooperation against climate change - that no matter how small the contribution the Philippine makes to GHG emission - its cumulative and transboundary effects can be felt worldwide. And it matters even more because the Philippines, a Third World country, is at the receiving end of the global warming's devastating effects. Read his remarks below:

“Senadora, matagal na po kayong nasa public eye, 20 taon bilang brodkaster, tumakbo bilang senador, tumakbo bilang bise presidente, tumakbo bilang senador muli, at kilala na po kayo sa ating buong bansa. Sa halalang ito, yung inyong pagtangkilik sa environment ang siyang pinaka sentro ng inyong programa. Bakit po ito ang sentro samantalang ang Pilipino — ang Pilipinas — ay less than one percent ng problema sa kabuuan ng climate change?”

10 MILLION MOVEMENT: EARTH DAY-PHILIPPINES CELEBRATION ON APRIL 22, 2010

Green Vote, Green Growth joined the 10 Million Movement (10MM) of the Earth Day Network Philippines in celebration of Earth Day on APRIL 22, 2010. Sign up and leave your print at http://www.10mm.ph/

PERLAS, JAMBY TOP 'GREEN VOTING'

MANILA, Philippines - If pails lined up in front of Quezon City Hall yesterday morning were to signify anything, it would be the presidential candidates’ ranking on their platforms for clean water.

Three groups conducted a survey to find out how candidates would tackle water pollution in the country.

In the survey conducted by Greenpeace Southeast Asia and the Ecowaste Coalition, environmentalist Nicanor Perlas topped the ranks with 8.7 points, followed by Sen. Jamby Madrigal with 7.8 points, and Sen. Richard Gordon with 7.2.

Eddie Villanueva placed fourth with 4.8 points, on a scoreboard of 1 to 10.
Senators Manuel Villar and Benigno Aquino III got 3.6 points, while councilor JC Delos Reyes got 2.7 points.

Former President Joseph Estrada and former defense secretary Gilbert Teodoro received zero points for not answering questions sent to them.

The two groups said Perlas, Madrigal and Gordon got the highest points for their clear, comprehensive and progressive positions and plans on protecting water resources.

World Water Day

Greenpeace and Ecowaste undertook the activity yesterday morning to mark World Water Day, using pails to show how candidates ranked on “green topics.”
They conducted the Green Electoral Initiative survey among nine candidates, sending the questions until last February.

Candidates were asked questions such as: “If elected president, what specific steps will you take to ensure the availability of clean water sources in the country?” and “Are you for or against amending the Clean Water Act to incorporate and institutionalize a framework of Zero Discharge of hazardous chemicals from factories and domestic sources?”

“We would like to know their insights on their plans for the water issue, particular the problem of water pollution and the lack of clean water,” Manny Calonzo of Ecowaste said.

“This is the first in a series of ‘green’ rankings that we will release to inform the voters how those aspiring to lead our nation intend to tackle the country’s environmental woes such as the declining quality and quantity of our freshwater sources due to the continued generation and discharge of pollutants from household, agricultural and industrial sources,” Calonzo said.

He said many candidates focused on enforcement as key to addressing water pollution.
Perlas said it was urgent to have a comprehensive land use plan to delineate watershed areas.

Madrigal plans to enforce a system for managing water resources beyond setting effluent standards.

On the other hand, Gordon intends to implement the rainwater collection law and the provision of incentives for individuals to integrate rainwater storage into their houses.

LYFE survey
In another survey by the League of the Youth for the Environment (LYFE), Madrigal topped the “greenest candidate” for the May 10 election.

Loi Manalansan, group convenor, said the survey, dubbed “Environment Vote 2010: Who’s the greenest of them all?” aims to help voters choose the most pro-people and pro-environment political leaders.

“People have the right to know their candidates’ stand and track record on critical environmental issues to help the voters choose and put in office the most pro-people and pro-environment leaders,” he said.

Aside from Madrigal, Perlas and Villar ranked high in the list of green presidential candidates while Gordon, Estrada and Teodoro goton the “mean” list.

On the vice presidential bets, Legarda, Mayor Jejomar Binay and Perfecto Yasay topped the green list while Jay Sonza and Bayani Fernando were at the bottom.
A similar ranking for the senatoriables had Satur Ocampo, Liza Maza, Risa Hontiveros and Rizalito David in the green, while Kit Tatad, Ompong Plaza, Ralph Recto and Juan Ponce Enrile were in the mean list.

For those running for party-list, Bayan Muna, Anakpawis, Gabriela, Kabataan, Katribu, Akbayan and Cibac landed positively on the green list.

The questionnaire was sent by e-mail, fax and via social networking sites to the presidentiables, vice presidentiables, senatoriables and party lists groups. Background checks were also done on all candidates with available on-line records for their positions on 10 major national environmental issues.

These questions range from the recommissioning of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant, commercial logging, Mining Act of 1995, coal power plants, Visiting Forces Agreement, toxic waste, aerial spraying of pesticides on plantations, among others.
For every environmental friendly answer or record, the candidate or group was given one green bean point.

One mean bean (black) was also awarded for every environmentally destructive answer/record that they gave. The bean counts were added for the final tally to rank the candidates. - Reinir Padua, Artemio Dumlao, Perseus Echeminad.

Source: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=560510&publicationSubCategoryId=68

AUDIO RECORDING OF DR. FLORANO'S LECTURE

Dr. Ebinezer Florano's lecture entitled, "Green Vote, Green Growth: It's Time to Paint Philippine Politics Green" delivered during the U.P. Academic Congress at the Malcolm Theater of the U.P. College of Law on February 5, 2010 can be heard at:

http://dilc.upd.edu.ph/index.php/beyond2010/391-qgreen-vote-green-growth

You can hear the other lectures on the same website.

PROF. LEONOR M. BRIONES

Support the Kaakbay Party. Its nominee, Prof. Leonor M. Briones of the U.P. National College of Public Administration and Governance, will work hard to increase the budget for environment and natural resources in the General Appropriations Act. Prof. Briones is an advocate of good governance.

ENVIRONMENT LINKED TO JOBS, ECONOMY - LOREN

DILIMAN, Quezon City, Feb. 3 - Sen. Loren Legarda said here today that environmental protection and enhancement are directly linked to economic development and jobs as she defended her advocacy for a green environment.

Addressing students and professors at a University of the Philippines forum, Loren answered "yes" to the forum question, "Mga Kandidato ng Kalikasan, May Boboto Ba?" (Will there be votes for candidates on a green platform?)

Loren, who is a firm advocate for environmental advancement is a vice presidential candidate of Nationalist People's Coalition Party and Nacionalista Party.

In her speech, Loren pointed out that environmental protection is necessary to improve agricultural and industrial production and reduce human casualties and property damage in cases of natural calamities, like typhoons and earthquakes.
A green program would provide "jobs for everyone," Loren said. "And those jobs should include green jobs and livelihoods from clean energy, climate and environmental protection initiatives."

A UN champion for climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction in Asia-Pacific, Loren has vigorously pushed for the adoption of policies and programs to combat global warming, such as the El Niño phenomenon that causes drought and reduce harvests, and also causes extraordinary strong typhoons like Ondong.

"Also included in my agenda is sustainable forest management. This involves intensive rehabilitation of degraded forests and denuded lands; industrial forest plantation development; conservation of biodiversity and remaining natural forests; livelihood support for small farmers living within and around protected areas; and upland community development," Loren declared.

"Foremost in my pro-environment agenda is the climate crisis. We must prepare and protect our communities against disasters, turbocharged byclimate change, by building their resilience to substantially reduce disaster losses, whether in lives or properties.

"We need to mainstream climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction in local government units through capacity building and development of best practices. Climate change must likewise be integrated in school curricula.

"There should also be strengthened enforcement of environmental laws and regulations such as the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Ecological Solid Waste Management Act and Climate Change Act," Loren stressed. As senator, she has actively participated in the enactment of these environmental law as author or co-author. As chair of the Senate committee on climate change, she sponsored the recently-enacted Climate Change Act.

In 1999, five million Filipinos petitioned the Philippine government to pass Republic Act 8749, the Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999, Loren said. The landmark legislation established ambient air quality guidelines and emissions standards, banned smoking in public buildings, and mandated that all motor vehicles undergo emissions testing at least once a year.

The Ecological Waste Management Act improved solid waste management and resource conservation, while the Clean Water Act of 2004 aims to protect the country's water bodies from pollution.

"Climate change and disaster risks makes compelling the robust adaptation strategies in the agriculture and fisheries sector. This shall include more investments in agricultural research and infrastructure, improved water governance and land use policies, better forecasting tools and early warning systems, a strengthened extension system that will assist farmers to achieve economic diversification and access to credit.

"Finally, in energy, there are many renewable, clean and environment-friendly sources around us. We can pursue industries, manufacturing, and business without sacrificing clean air, drinkable water and healthy food. It is time to mobilize green power programs through the establishment of solar, wind and other renewable energy facilities and green urban mass transport system."

"You ask me whether there is a green vote in the Philippines ... I look at the faces of these people who aspire for change and I say yes! There is a green vote in the Philippines. The youth is the green vote. The youth will bring about the change we want to see, "Loren declared.

Source: http://www.senate.gov.ph/press_release/2010/0203_legarda1.asp