Unity Statement Of The Youth Of Cavite

We, the undersigned youth organizations and residents of Cavite and as inheritors of our planet, demand the provincial government of the Cavite province and all concerned national government agencies to prioritize protecting and developing land and water resources for the benefit of the people over private interests.

The recent oil spill off the coast of Cavite which affected more than 25 thousand fisherfolk families in 2 cities and 7 municipalities in the province is just the tip of the iceberg in the continued and unabated destruction of the province’s natural resources and ecological biodiversity.

The aggressive rate of the construction of housing projects, shopping malls, and industrial zones in the name of “modernization” and “development” has led to an imbalance wherein the well-being of the people and the planet has been greatly compromised if not totally disregarded.

The development projects being pursued by both the public and private sector in the province has contributed immensely to the higher rate of greenhouse gas and other harmful emissions that are both contributing to the climate crisis and directly harmful to people’s health. Such development also brings an increased volume of vehicles plying the highways of Cavite, worsening the perennial problem of traffic congestion and air pollution.

Furthermore, solid waste pollution continues to hound the province with most public spaces resembling dump sites. The lackadaisical solid waste management also poses a significant threat to the health of Caviteños, especially for those residing in disenfranchised communities.

We also question the motivations behind Private-Public Partnerships and Joint Ventures initiated by government in the Bacoor Reclamation Project and the Manila Bay Reclamation Project and the dredging and seabed quarrying activities has not only stripped fishing communities of their livelihood but also increased the vulnerability of areas in Cavite to flooding and damage to the marine biodiversity.

Another alarming concern is the steady rise of the number of agricultural land conversions for commercial and industrial usage. The controversial and illegal land conversion of a 274-year old communal farmlands by the city government of Carmona for the benefit of SM Prime Holdings is the most glaring example of dispossession of poor Caviteños at the hands of colluding politicians and private interests. Relentless land grabbing and unlawful land conversions has greatly contributed to the province’s food insecurity.

The problem of water pollution is also highlighted by the recent oil spills. The heavy amounts of pollutants such as toxic chemicals in important water bodies is a great threat to the health, environment, and livelihood of Caviteños. With this comes the urgency to declare the water bodies of Cavite as non-attainment areas and to ban all water vessels that carry toxic cargo from passing through municipal waters. The provincial government must also stand for the amendment of RA. 9486 or the Oil Pollution Compensation Act of 2007 to ensure that perpetrators of oil spills such as the San Miguel Corporation will be truly held accountable.

Lastly, the vast majority of the electricity supply of Cavite comes from Meralco whose energy is primarily supplied by fossil fuel plants such as coal, oil, and liquefied natural gas. Aside from being the primary cause of global warming and climate change, being mostly imported, these energy sources are also very expensive and prone to price fluctuations.

We therefore call on the provincial government to lead the transition for renewable energy in the province that is both cleaner and cheaper. This is ideally in the form of community solar facilities in contrast to solar farms to ensure energy sovereignty at the barangay and municipality levels.

Under these pressing issues, we, the young citizens of Cavite, demand the provincial and local governments to step up! Prioritize the protection and people-managed conservation of land and water resources of the province and champion the welfare of the people and nature.