Milestones from the programs of the Center for Development Programs in the Cordillera (CDPC) were highlighted during its general assembly (GA) last June 29 in Baguio City. The results of the internal evaluation of the 2017-2018 multi-sectoral and food security programs were presented during the GA, capped by the reorganization of the Board of Trustees (BOT) and preparations for the next three-year program (2021-2023).
Campaigns and dialogue characterize the advocacy of CDPC for the period evaluated. Relating with State actors was among the remarkable endeavors of CDPC in the last two years, having engaged with four national line agencies to facilitate services for neglected and far-flung communities in the Cordillera. The CDPC network exerted much effort in cooperating under the services of progressive cabinet secretaries: Gina Lopez of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Judy Taguiwalo of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Rafael Mariano of the Department of Agriculture (DA) and Liza Maza of the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC). Unfortunately, however, the constructive engagements were terminated and subsequently foreseen achievements were suddenly aborted.
Multi-sectoral advocacy was defined by emerging policy changes that bore impact on the right to food and health. As such, CDPC campaigned the following issues, some of which generated support from local government officials: jeepney phase out, government neglect of rice terraces, unhampered large scale mining while indiscriminately banning small-scale traditional mining, contractualization and wages of workers of business processing organisations; irrigation fees and rice importation, military occupation of residential areas and houses.
As a result of local lobbying, it is also noteworthy to share that the Baguio City Council raised concerns on the vilification of activist organisations in the city and is currently elaborating on a resolution prohibiting such. In Mountain Province, local government officials issued public statements prohibiting the occupation of military troops in civilian homes, schools, churches and all places where villagers mingle.
CDPC-CPA particularly contributed to the national campaign leading to passage of the Free Irrigation Act (Republic Act 10969), primarily by the Alyansa dagiti Pesante iti Taeng Kordilyera (APIT TAKO) and the Mental Health Law primarily by Community Health, Education, Services and Training in the Cordillera (CHESTCORE) and the House Bill to lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility, primarily by the the Cordillera Youth Center (CYC).
CDPC served as lead CSO in the NAPC facilitated series of workshops that resulted to the policy document on ‘Road Map on the Conservation and Rehabilitation of Rice Terraces in the Cordillera.
The GA was updated on several socio-economic programs provided by CDPC through its food security program such as the potable water system, fruit tree dispersal, farm tools dispersal, rehabilitation of communal irrigation system with high density polyethylene pipes and rice mill. On its program on right to health, around 2,000 were provided health services apart from the active participation of the Community Health Education, Services and Training in the Cordillera Region (CHESTCORE) in the campaign that resulted to the enactment of the Mental Health Law. CDPC also contributed and participated in the Serve the People Brigade with the Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA), providing relief packs much-needed by communities devastated by super typhoons Ompong and Rosita in 2018.
Discussion on Environmental Situation and Climate Change
Dr. Rowena Boquiren discussing the Philippine Environment and Climate Change
Following the GA was a forum on the current environmental situation and climate change with Dr. Rowena Boquiren as resource person. Dr. Boquiren is a member of the general assembly and is retired professor of the University of the Philippines-Baguio.
The projected impacts of climate change discussed include falling crop yields in many areas particularly developing regions, significant decrease in water availability and rising of sea levels, increasing number of species face extinction, extreme weather events, and increasing risk of dangerous feed backs and abrupt, large scale-shifts in the climate system. Dr. Boquiren shared that the Philippines was described by Conservation International (CI) as the hottest of the 25 so-called biodiversity hotspots in the world. Hotspots are areas considered to have the least number of species existing. She added that 932 out of 11,046 endangered and extinct species are in the country, based on information from the International Union for Nature Conservation (IUCN).
Key actions needed to address the climate crisis include mitigation and adaptation that focuses on the conservation of natural ecosystems. The key actions she cited were climate change mitigation and adaptation focusing on the conservation with humans as a major player. She recommended different strategies to conserve the Philippine biodiversity given the problem of climate change, such as the ecosystem-based multi-disciplinary/multi-dimensional scope and approach, inter-agency participation and coordination including policy harmonization, partnership with local community and other stakeholders, eco-governance that entails transparency and political will, and aiming towards sustainability through institutionalized actions.
Dr. Boquiren ended the discussion with the challenge to “think and act locally while linking globally across levels, scales, sectors and disciplines to attain human and ecosystem well-being.” ***
