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Groups denounce Arroyo’s preference for charter over climate change


BAYOMBONG, Philippines – Environmental activists have accused President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and her allies in Congress of courting more environmental disasters through Charter change (Cha-cha) by “brazenly railroading its deliberation on the eve of Earth Day." Clemente Bautista of Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment (Kalikasan-PNE), alleged that Cha-cha will (only) allow foreigners to own lands in the country. “This will give foreign companies more control to profit from our natural resources and ravage our environment. This we have seen and experienced under the Mining Act of 1995 which gave foreign transnational mining companies to own thousands of hectares of our mineral lands," said Bautista. The Philippines has been called by some environmental experts as a global biodiversity disaster area. This is due to the very fast rate and high biodiversity loss in the country. The country also has been identified as one of the most vulnerable tropical countries to the impacts of climate change. “The devastation of our forests, mountains, rivers and seas has led to an environmental crisis that further impoverishes and threatens the survival of the people. Yet, given the country’s dismal environmental situation, the Arroyo government remains defiant to reverse its policies and programs in the extractive industry of mining, logging and energy that are proven detrimental to our ecology," explained Bautista By the beginning of 21st century, the Philippines has already lost more than 93 percent of our original forest which has been described as one of the most rapid and massive in the world. Most of the deforestation has been caused by the extensive operations of commercial logging and mining. Forest denudation compounded by the effects of climate change resulted to the worst environmental disasters and tragedies in the country such as the 1991 Ormoc flashflood, 1996 Marcopper mine spill in Marinduque, 2004 Aurora- Quezon landslide, and 2005 Lafayette mine spill in Bicol. Hundreds of environmental activists, Church people, indigenous peoples, peasants, fisherfolk, and scientists from Metro Manila, Southern Tagalog and Central Luzon commemorated Earth Day 2009 on Tuesday by having a People’s Parade and Caravan for the Environment. The activity paraded colorful and creative floats symbolizing emerging and important environmental issues such as the climate change, Bataan Nuclear Power Plant, large-scale mining, commercial logging, large dams and garbage landfills. During the activity, environmentalists were one in saying that the government should address climate change and not charter change and that it must halt and reverse its destructive programs and projects on mining and logging “for the sake of Mother Earth." - Floro Taguinod, GMANews.TV
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