Now, more than ever, the 2022 Philippine Elections depicts how strongly Filipinos campaign for their candidates, especially at the Presidential and Vice-Presidential levels.
My presidential and vice-presidential bets are no secret. I posted. I joined. Many of us, too. Some say it’s fanaticism. I should not generalize, but perhaps I should? Maybe that’s how passionate and patriotic we Filipinos really are.
Even so, as I dug a little deeper as a mom, I chose to step back for a while to move forward a bit.
My support for a candidate does not mean I’ll always agree with what they say and that I won’t express my own views on issues, and this is especially true when it comes to the issue of climate change. To be fair and honest, my bets’ stances on it are not strong yet.
But why is the climate issue important?
Climate change affects all aspects of our lives on this planet. It’s also a human rights and social justice issue. We are all affected regardless of our status and place in this world, though the most vulnerable countries, like the Philippines, are experiencing its worst impacts to people’s well-being – from access to food and potable water, to the impacts on our homes, livelihoods, and our health.
I listened to stories of friends and colleagues who were hit by devastating typhoons over the last years. I, my family, and even our baby, suffer from the extreme heat in the metro. Often, the house is like a big oven. Hot places are getting hotter. Cold places are getting colder. Sea levels are rising–have you also noticed that it seems like summer and rainy seasons have become inconsistent?
The threats posed by climate change have been present even before the pandemic. If these persist, the youth, our children, and the next generations will suffer the most. I don’t want that for my family, especially not for our daughter and future children. The anxiety is just so real. As a mom, I’m sure you also don’t wish for those dangers because one of the most precious gifts we can give our children is a place where they can safely and freely play and lay.
Just the other day, the Climate Change & Human Rights Inquiry in the Philippines has found legal grounds to hold the Big Polluters, like Shell, Chevron, Total, Exxon, BP, and others, accountable–a historic win for Filipinos and the global movement for the climate.
But the next big chapter has yet to start: This climate win came at a time when we’re about to choose our next leaders. Who will take the helm for the next six years is very crucial, as the climate emergency is getting worse year after year.
Whenever a climate disaster hits, what becomes apparent is that we are all living in a country most vulnerable to climate change impacts. And yet, at the same time, every disaster magnifies the already existing injustices in our country.
The climate crisis demands seeing beyond our red, blue, green, and pink symbols and signs–in a world full of colors, we need that rainbow. A rainbow behind the throes.
Now that our future is at stake, I believe we need collective action, yes, but NOT just the kind that’s driven by our loyalty to personalities. We need leaders who have the vision and the will to put communities’ and people’s welfare before corporate interests, confront big polluters, and speed up the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy.
It goes without saying that our next leaders must also support people’s participation in governance, strengthen democratic institutions, and advance and protect human rights, among others–because climate justice and social justice come hand-in-hand.
To my fellow moms and children, we will never regret that moment when we ask our next and future leaders to stand for climate justice. This will certainly allow us to feel a touch of peace.
Pag sinabing para sa ating bayan, nararapat na ito ay para rin sa ating buhay at kalikasan.
Diah Abida-Cruz is the Senior Learning & Development Officer at Greenpeace Southeast Asia. Just like Diah, you can support the Filipino youth’s aspiration for a better future by writing to your candidates at act.gp/love52 AND by voting for #ClimateJusticeNow in the upcoming elections.