Loren fighting for trees

While a good number of politicians are busy promoting their ambition to become president of the Republic, Sen. Loren Legarda has been preaching the message of keeping the environment safe. Recently, she launched an interesting film on Luntiang Pilipinas which will make the rounds of public and private schools to create awareness of the value of trees. If only for this, Loren will clinch the race for the vice-presidency — if and when she announces her intention, although some sectors are vouching on her running for the top position.

But in meetings with media, as she did in her privilege speech in the halls of the Senate, Loren is simply focusing on the need to care for the environment and prevent the devastating effects of climate change. Her newest project called “10 @ 10,” held in celebration of Luntian’s 10th anniversary, undertakes the planting of 10 million trees, which is in line with the United Nations Environment Programme enjoining the planting of 7 billion trees globally by the end of 2009.

The United Nations has been keeping tab of her environmental advocacy through Luntian, as well as her efforts to help pass pro-environmental laws like the Clean Air Act, the Solid Waste Management Law and a number of laws protecting the habitat of threatened flora and fauna like Mt. Kitanlad.

In 2001, the UN Environmental Program included Loren in its prestigious Global 500 Roll of Honor, and this month, conferred another honor on her, as the Regional Champion for Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation for the Asia-Pacific Region. This was given during the 3rd Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

“Climate change is the defining issue of our time,” Loren said as she accepted the award from the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction Director Salvano Briceno.

Last year, Loren worked with Briceno to convene the 1st consultative meeting with parliamentarians in Manila, which resulted in the Manila Call for Action on disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation. She later presented the Manila Call for Action, which seeks to transform the Hyogo Framework for Action into a legally binding instrument at the 3rd Global Congress of Woman in Politics and Governance.

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I am impressed by the sincerity of the senator not only in environmental advocacy but also in pushing bills to make life easier for the less-endowed. She co-authored Republic Act (RA) 9502, or the Universally Accessible Cheaper and Quality Medicines Act of 2008 which, among other things, reduces prices of medicines. She is also one of the pushers of RA 9501, the Magna Carta for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Act which, among other things, allows loans to small businesses.

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When Loren was in Kuala Lumpur to receive her award from the UN, she met nine Filipina domestic workers who sought refuge in the Philippine Embassy after they were charged with possessing counterfeit passports and overstaying in Malaysia. Loren facilitated their travel documents and exit pass and provided them with transportation back to the Philippines.

She called for the capture and punishment of the “alleged human traffickers”— Marilyn Gonzales Jabonero and the Malaysian Ng Kok Went — who had sent the nine Filipinas on fraudulent documents, citing their violating R.A. 9208 or the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003.

Decrying the exploitation and abuse of Filipina domestic workers, Loren recalled that she filed last year, Senate Resolution No. 207, calling for the conduction of an inquiry, in aid of legislation, into the implementation of Act 2002 due to the escalating prevalence of trafficking in persons from the Philippines. She cited figures by the International Justice Mission, a human rights agency that secures justice for victims of slavery, sexual exploitation and other forms of violent oppression, showing that 85 out of 88 of the victims they rescued were trafficked for prostitution and three for forced labor.

She called for the creation of a national program to identify effective services for trafficked victims and their families, the prompt reporting of trafficking cases to authorities, the education of potential victims of the existence of “this social evil” through anti-trafficking information in elementary and high school curricula, and strengthening of partnerships with civil society in creating a comprehensive network of programs to suppress trafficking in persons.

She called for the government program to eliminate poverty that compels people to migrate to other countries for gainful employment. “Poverty is that seemingly indomitable monster that we must fight. Trafficking and the other social ills around us are just its offshoot and so in order to defeat trafficking in persons, we must deal a significant blow against poverty.”

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Congratulations to Atty. Frank Chavez for his receiving the title “Tribune of the People” from the National Union of People’s Lawyers led by its president, Federico Gapuz, in collaboration with the office of Minority Leader Aquilino Q. Pimentel, Jr. (PDP-LABAN) and Senators Manuel Villar and Francis Pangilinan.

Senator Pimenetel said at the awarding ceremonies held at Club Filipino in Greenhills that Chavez was being recognizing for his exceptional feats in using his legal expertise to uphold the rights of the people. “In the field of law, in the legal arena for the battle to uphold the rights of the people and the cause of freedom, justice and peace, we feel that our honoree’s performance is a hard act to follow.”   

Chavez, a former solicitor general, defended many journalists — pro bono — who were slapped with libel suits by government officials for writing and/or causing critical articles to be printed during the martial law years. I was one of the editors defended by Chavez.

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