Youth form human banner for #NowPH climate action day

MANILA, Philippines – Students from Rizal High School in Pasig City formed a human banner on campus as part of the activities for the National Day for Youth in Climate Action. The banner read “Act for Our Future,” one of the key messages of #NowPH and the climate action movement.

At least 2,000 students participated with 1,000 of them being spectators. The goal of the activity was to raise the public’s awareness of the need for urgent climate action, especially leading up to the Paris Climate Change Conference (COP 21). 

We are happy to join #nowph #cop21paris https://t.co/cH3a6gV13o

— Xavier S. Padilla (@xavyniceday) November 25, 2015

Act for our future. #NowPH (Human Banner formed by the students of Rizal High School) pic.twitter.com/27l6kvy5Aw

— #NowPH (@NowPH_org) November 25, 2015

The banner generated a buzz on Twitter with many sharing pictures of the students and commending them for participating. 

Youth’s major role

Youth engagement in climate action activities has been the cornerstone of the national movement. (READ: #NowPH: Youth urged to combat climate change)

#NowPH is one of the campaigns based in the Philippines and it hoped to gather a million signatures or voices to send to leaders for COP 21, which it exceeded on November 25 as well.

Thank you to everyone who signed the #NowPH pledge! More than one million youth voices to be turned over to Paris! pic.twitter.com/BIYlllsPTb

— #NowPH (@NowPH_org) November 25, 2015

Aside from gathering signatures, it also called on Filipinos to make simple pledges to minimize individual people’s carbon footprints. The fifteen pledges were promoted through different ambassadors who used their influence to boost the public’s interest in their respective advocacies.

The ongoing campaign has been gaining momentum as the Paris talks draw nearer, with the youth sector dominating the discussion.

Thanks to the #NowPH ambassadors and pillars who continue to engage their young audiences, Twitter conversations like the ones on October 6 and October 28 generated millions of views.

The most recent conversation, which MovePH held on the same day as the anniversary of Super Typhoon Yolanda, generated about 275 million views. (READ: #NowPH climate action generates buzz on Yolanda anniversary)

For the series of activities for the National Day of Youth in Climate Action, #NowPH and its partners said they hope to further mobilize the participants as leaders and innovators in order to continue their advocacies in their respective communities. – with a report from Bea Orante/Rappler.com

#NowPH is an initiative of the National Youth Commission (NYC) and theClimate Change Commission (CCC), with support from USAID Building Low Emission Alternatives to Develop Economic Resilience and Sustainability Project (B-LEADERS). MovePH, Rappler’s civic engagement arm, is a social media partner. Visit nowph.org to learn more about the campaign.