Press Release
April 21, 2007

Sen. Angara's statement on Earth Day

As we celebrate Earth Day, it is good to look back at what we have done so far to take care of the Earth and discuss as well where we missed out or fail to deliver good service to Mother Earth.

A few weeks ago, I saw Greenpeace report on how global warming and climate change is affecting the people, the economy, different species and the ecosystem.

On that report, it says that the entire Philippines is a climate hotspot, vulnerable to the worst manifestation of climate change. It projected that a one-meter rise in sea level may affect 64 of our provinces which covers 703 out of 1,610 municipalities. It will eventually submerge 700 million square meters of land across the county altering the country's coastline.

It is estimated too that by 2095 to 2100, 703 municipalities may be submerged in water and this could be sooner with the melting of ice from Greenland and West Antartica. Worst-case scenario of complete melting will create a 7 to 12 meters sea level rise.

Alarming indeed. Global warming is a worldwide phenomenon and we have known these for years. It is very disappointing that we are one of the first signatories of the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in 1998 but one of the last to implement its provisions.

We can whine all day and lament on the state of the Earth. Or we can do something.

Issues like this need to be given time and importance. On the level of policy, there are initiatives that the Congress can do. On a personal level, all of us can do our share to lessen the problem of global warming. We need to work from two fronts, policy reforms and personal discipline.

Given the situation, it is clear, that there is a need for the government to intensify efforts to tap indigenous energy sources to cope with rising energy and environmental preservation needs.

At the Senate, I rallied for the passage of the National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS) to secure for the Filipino people of present and future generations the perpetual existence of flora and fauna. At present, there are 3.33 M hectares of proclaimed protected area covered by NIPAS.

I also co-sponsored the Biofuels Act and I continue to rally for the passage of the Renewable Energy Act and the National Cultural Heritage Act in Congress.

Reforestation is another very important issue that we must not forget at this time and on this, I encourage LGU participation. It is imperative to link up forest management to LGUs.

An equally important issue would be what to do about the utilization and concession systems for forest use.

Originally, the use of forest was given through a concession system. But after 1987, they put into place production sharing, co-production and joint venture systems which are all the same. These forest management agreements are just disguises for cutting trees.

We need to review our concession system if we want to stop continuous forest destruction.

Instead of allowing further forest denudation, the special use concessions should instead authorize the development of denuded forests into agroforestry areas with operators directed to plant both hardwood as well as economic fruit trees.

All these seems like such a huge task but it's nothing compared to the good service that we will be able to provide to the Earth.

Happy Earth Day!

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