Presidential aspirant Vice President Leni Robredo has signed a covenant with various environmental groups detailing their commitment to protect and preserve the environment.
In a covenant signed recently at the Office of the Vice President (OVP), Robredo agreed to work jointly for green agenda if elected president in the May elections.
“Recognizing the solemn duty of the President of the Philippines to safeguard the right of the Filipino people to a balanced and healthful ideology; we make a shared commitment to a people-centered sustainable development that ensures food security, human rights and preserves our country’s biodiversity, natural resources and ecological landscapes for the welfare of all,” the covenant said.
The Vice President signed the pact with representatives from LILAK, or the Purple Action for Indigenous Women; NASSA-Caritas Philippine Ecology Program; Healthcare Without Harm; Environmental Studies Institute – Miriam College; Alyansa Tigil Mina; Philippine Permaculture Association; GreenAgenda4Leni; and EnviRobredo.
Various environmental groups, who joined the program via Zoom, also read their statement of support, during the agreement signing.
In her message, Robredo said that if she wins, the first thing she will do is unknot unhelpful practices and face the reality that the country is in a very “vulnerable” position.
The Vice President asked the advocates to help people understand what is at stake, noting that the success of the agenda depends on the public’s cooperation.
“Siyempre (Of course) we started working together already when we developed the 10-point agenda, but let this be a continuing effort. Siguro ang (Maybe the) challenge papaano ba natin itong agenda na ito mata-translate (is how we will translate this agenda) into terms na ramdam ng tao na gut issue ito (that people feel this gut issue),” she said.
The presidential aspirant said that she would put forward clear and coherent land use policies, food sovereignty, elimination of plastic pollution, climate justice, a minerals management regime that prioritizes local community development, and transition to safe, clean, and affordable energy, among others.
Robredo has emphasized the need to take care of the environment and create policies that would recognize and adapt to the effects of climate change as the people always grapple with widespread devastation brought by natural disasters, most recent of which was Typhoon “Odette”.