Environmental platforms are shaping up to be a litmus test for Senate contenders—who’s the greenest and who’s the dirtiest?

By ERIKA SINAKING and VIGGO SARMAGO

MANILA – Eleven senatorial candidates pitched their platforms and stances at the Luntian De Avance: Town Hall on Environmental Rights and Climate Justice held at the University of the Philippines Diliman Institute of Biology Auditorium on March 14.  

An 11-point People’s Environmental Agenda, led by environmental and civil society groups, is being pushed for adoption in candidates’ campaign trails to engage voters on the ongoing environmental crisis. The event was organized by environmental conservation organization Panatang Luntian, the Center for Environmental Concerns – Philippines and Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment. 

Candidates at the forum opposed the Mining Act of 1995, supported the free distribution of land to farmers, agreed that the government’s disaster response is inadequate, rejected the use of nuclear power, backed the repeal of the Anti-Terrorism Act, and supported the abolition of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC). 

Based on the green groups’ Envibe Check, a fact-based assessment of senatorial candidates on environmental rights and climate justice, the candidates are “greenest” senatoriables showing their consensus on key environmental and social issues.

Green vs. Dirty candidates 

This year’s Envibe Check assessed the stances and track records of all 64 senatorial candidates.

They looked into seven thematic areas: food security, energy and climate, biodiversity and conservation, waste and pollution, urban green spaces and mass transportation, environmental defenders and civic space, and extractives and other environmentally destructive projects. 

Those rated as the “greenest” consistently championed pro-environmental policies, supported grassroots movements, and pushed for laws that protect environmental rights.

According to lead researcher Kevin Christopher Cordovis, these candidates have an extensive track record of joining climate and environmentally affected sectors and are strongly against anti-environment and anti-environmental-defender policies. 

Much of this positive engagement came from the Makabayan Coalition, Partido Lakas ng Masa (PLM), Workers Party of the Philippines (WPP), and several Independent candidates.

In contrast, those classified as the “dirtiest” contenders vouch for programs and policies that exploit the environment and violate the rights of environmental defenders, favoring destructive projects and repressive measures. Most of them came from the PDP-LABAN while Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas tend to be more neutral.

“For candidates that are still on the fence, it is important to engage and encourage them to be more environmentally friendly,” said Cordovis. 

He recommended sustained lobbying for pro-people measures, including the passage of the People’s Green New Deal and the People’s Mining Bill, which prioritize community-driven welfare through an environmental lens.

Economic and climate justice

The Philippines faces growing economic and climate injustice, where reliance on fossil fuels, mining, and reclamation projects harms vulnerable communities and deepens inequality. Amid competing platforms, does the environment have a seat at the table?

For Jerome Adonis, Makabayan coalition’s senatorial candidate, the connection between workers and the environment is crucial.

He called for revising existing climate-related policies and abolishing anti-environment defender policies, arguing that shifting them toward a pro-people approach will benefit the environment and Filipino workers’ future. 

Representing the transport sector, Mody Floranda (Makabayan) has long opposed the government’s Public Utility Vehicle (PUV) Modernization Program, calling it a “false climate solution” that has displaced thousands of transport workers. 

“PUV Modernization Program took jobs away from many people,” Floranda said. 

He pushed for expanding public transport systems and pushing for a just transition that should not come at the expense of workers’ livelihoods.

Norman Marquez, known for his advocacy of animal welfare, linked his platform to agricultural reform. He proposed reducing the country’s dependence on livestock-based agriculture to lower greenhouse gas emissions while promoting urban agriculture initiatives to boost food security and rural livelihoods.

Economic empowerment is impossible without environmental protection, according to Roberto Ballon, an independent candidate. He said, “There are no livelihoods when the environment is destroyed.” He called for economic reforms to empower communities and secure opportunities through sustainable environmental practices.

Protecting Environmental Defenders and Indigenous Rights 

The expansion of large-scale mining in the Philippines has displaced Indigenous communities and intensified human rights violations, with 17 activists killed or forcibly disappeared in 2023, the highest figure in Asia, according to Global Witness report. 

Makabayan senatorial candidate Mimi Doringo proposed establishing protection mechanisms for environmental defenders and indigenous rights, calling for an end to state military operations and the repeal of repressive policies such as the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020. “The government is the root cause of environmental tragedies. For me, providing education services, defending the environment, and filing human rights defenders law are key to securing system change.” 

Jose Jessie Olivar, also an independent candidate and a labor leader for 18 years, vowed to prioritize indigenous peoples’ rights if elected, citing ongoing land grabbing and exploitation faced by the community. “There is a need to amend Republic Act 8371 for the indigenous community who, to this day, continue to be stripped of their land and exploited.”

Olivar pushed for regular employment and equal wages for workers nationwide by amending Republic Act No. 6727, which sets minimum wage rates.

Labor leader Ernesto Arellano supported Point 7 of the agenda regarding climate education. 

“Climate awareness should be part of the curriculum from elementary to college,” said Arellano. 

He promoted mass-oriented urban planning, as informal settlers are often displaced without sustainable relocation programs and require policy shifts that prioritize equitable development. 

Holding corporations and government to account

About 70.5% of the country’s land is severely degraded, increasing food imports and threatening national food security. 

For Makabayan senatorial candidate, Danilo “Ka Daning” Ramos, genuine land reform, securing subsidies for farmers affected by calamities, and national industrialization are key priorities.He criticized the concentration of large tracts of land in the hands of landlords and elites, linking it to systemic inequality and environmental degradation.

“Government policies and programs from past and present are highly accountable, which is why it’s important to repeal the Mining Act of 1995 and immediately stop mining, logging, and destruction of our mountains,” Ramos said.

Ramos also questioned the proposals in the Senate and Congress for a 99-year lease on land, expressing doubts about its long-term impact on local farmers and land ownership.

As of 2023, over 53 reclamation projects have destroyed the coastal ecosystem, leaving fisherfolks on the frontlines of economic loss. 

Ronnel Arambulo, Makabayan senatorial candidate representing the fishing sector, vowed to abolish reclamation projects if elected to the Senate. “Reclamation projects have long been a problem for us fisherfolk, as they have destroyed the livelihoods of fishermen, damaged the environment, and affected our fellow citizens because reclamation brings nothing but destruction.“

For David D’Angelo, Bunyog Pagkakaisa’s senatorial bet, the cynical nature of politics has stalled environmental reforms. He has been a key advocate for environmental reforms for 30 years, playing a role in the passage of the Renewable Energy Act and calling for a renewal of the Environmental Code of the Philippines. 

He pushed for fast-tracking environmental conservation rooted in social justice and strongly believes in the need for a national climate emergency declaration.

Democratic Party of the Philippines (DPP) senatorial candidate Roy Cabonegro outlined an environment-focused platform, emphasizing the need for deurbanization to combat the looming global climate crisis. “We have a concrete program for deurbanization. Focusing solely on green cities is no longer enough—we need to reduce our current urban areas by 30%… we need a green government.”

Cabonegro warned that by 2050, the world will face a serious crisis if governments fail to act decisively, calling for a shift toward green government rather than just green policies. (AMU, DAA)