Lumad, Envi groups urge support for People's Environmental Agenda this 40th Earth Day celeb Human Chain encircle Freedom Park, to light up 118 torches

Davao City(April 22) --- 118 torches will be lit around the Freedom Park in a tribute to the nation’s 118 ethnolinguistic tribes who serve as the guardians and stewards of the Earth.

In today’s commemoration of the 40th Earth Day, more than 118 lumads clad in their traditional attire together with environmental advocates will hold a symbolic action for unity in advancing stronger environmental protection.

KATRIBU Partylist and PANALIPDAN (Defend!) will unveil a 6-foot tall billboard which enumerates their ten major fighting calls for environmental defense.

“This environmental agenda highlights our calls to reclaim our environmental rights, our human rights amidst the worsening ruin and exploitation of the environment. This is our statement against development aggression which has spawned tragedies after tragedies, deprived us of the fruits of our land, and caused the wanton landlessness and poverty that majority of lumads and poor Filipinos are suffering from,” said Diolito Diarog, coordinator for KATRIBU Davao City.

As a symbolic affirmation of their commitment to protect Mother Earth, lumad leaders and environmental advocates will sign and mark their handprints on the billboard.

The agenda primarily calls for the stop of large-scale corporate mining , energy, logging and other destructive projects which shall be pursued by KATRIBU and its support groups in the local and national policy-making venues. The billboard shall be transferred from different schools in Davao Region as part of Katribu’s advocacy and education campaigns.

The multicultural gathering will peak in a torch parade to show the unity of sectors for environmental defense.

Other groups which will participate in the activity are KADUMAHAN, SAGIP, Mindanao Interfaith Services Foundation Inc. (MISFI), Kabiba, Children’s Rehabilitation Center (CRC) and other political groups such as the Satur Ocampo for Senator Movement, Liza Maza for Senator Movement and other individual environmentalists. #

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DIOLITO DIAROG