Youth walk Tuguegarao streets to call for climate action

TUGUEGARAO, Philippines – While world leaders meet in Paris for the 21st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP21), hundreds of youth from Northern Luzon staged a “Walk for Mother Earth” in this city’s streets on Monday, November 30, to call for action on the effects of climate change and “environmental plunder.”

The walk was part of the 3-day Luzon Youth Environmental Youth Summit held at Cagayan State University-Carig Campus in Tuguegarao.

With the theme “A Thousand Seeds of Green,” the summit, organized by different youth organizations, alliances and environmental youth networks in Northern Luzon, aimed to converge the youth “to build a stronger unity against the country’s pressing environmental problems.” (READ: Thousands join climate march in PH ahead of climate talks)

The summit was held in Cagayan as the province continues to welcome mining operations. Cagayan is rich is magnetite or black sand, a mineral used in making steels for technological purposes. (READ: Black sand mining operations under scrutiny)

The summit included discussions on environmental policies and laws, environmental accountabilities, disaster preparedness and youth participation.

Why the youth?

“Young people from schools and communities are part and parcel of a wider frontline of vulnerable sectors that suffer greatly from the effects of increasing environmental disasters,” Ced Casano, Kalikasan-Cagayan Valley, one of the organizers of the summit, said. 

Casano said that as the future generation who will either suffer or enjoy the acts of man towards nature, the youth should be the first to take action to fight for a solution.

“Without addressing the roots of the situation, efforts would be just reduced as mere band-aid solutions,” Casano added. “Therefore it is important for the youth, as the hope of the nation, to be in the forefront of such issues.”

Casano said the summit promotes youth participation and initiative that will build a concrete framework of action in defending and protecting the country’s natural resources.

The walk, Casano added, was in time for Andres Bonifacio’s 152nd birthday whom he described as “one of country’s leading revolutionary heroes, which the youth of today can gain much inspiration from in acting for the protection of the environment.” – Rappler.com