Let us stop global warming and save ourselves/our Earth now!  

These proofs confirm that our earth is already too warm; heat waves of 100°F (37.8°C) or higher are “baking” the US/UK, forest fires in Spain, floods in our country, droughts, famine in Africa.

“It's now or never, if we want to limit global warming to 1.5°C,” IPCC Working Group III co-chair Jim Skea said.

Otherwise, expect our local/global situation to worsen by 2030! Rising sea levels can hit the Philippines, including Cebu. Intensified food/water/energy crises, stronger typhoons, floods, more hunger/poverty. Our choice: To unite/act now or not.

You can start to read/heed/sign this manifesto by Save Cebu advocates to save our coasts and stop illegal reclamation/other destructive coastal development projects.

“The ocean is our food, our comfort, our culture, our inspiration, and our home. But for years, humans have wantonly plundered/irreversibly destroyed this critical life support system by perpetuating illegal/destructive activities, such as, but not limited to building permanent structures/converting coastlines/corals/sea grasses/mangroves/wetlands into permanent land by dumping/filling with materials dredged from other parts of the ocean or quarried from our mountains and allowing fossil-gas facilities.

“People in power coaxed these projects as the panacea to our country’s economic ills.

“Promise of jobs/secured future/growth/development have been made without even calculating the irreversible loss it will bring to the marine ecosystem/livelihood/food and nutritional security.

“Scientific studies have shown that land reclamation/other coastal development projects are irreversible forms of environmental degradation.

“It destroys spawning grounds/ habitat of fish egg/larvae, inflicts harm on our coastal resources in our municipal waters and only exacerbates our vulnerability to environmental hazards/extreme weather events, such as flooding/storm surges/land subsidence, and liquefaction --thereby endangering the lives of millions of residents along the coasts.

“For this, we, the affected communities/concerned citizens/civil society organizations/academe/youth/faith-based organizations/business sector/and special interest groups hereby declare our strong opposition against reclamation and other coastal development projects, which violate our fundamental right to a healthy environment and the correlative right to health.

“No less than the Philippine Constitution guarantees subsistence fishermen the right to the preferential use of local marine/fishing resources, both inland and offshore.

“The Amended Fisheries Code (Republic Act 10654) likewise provides “resident municipal fisherfolk/their organizations/cooperatives shall have priority to exploit municipal/demarcated fishery areas of the said municipality.”

“The fact that reclamation destroys treasured resources present in municipal waters clearly establish a violation of this constitutionally/statutorily protected right.

“For, if marine resources are destroyed, it infringes the preferential rights of subsistence fishermen in the use of these resources.

 “Importantly, it is the duty of the State to protect/advance the right of the people to a balanced/healthful ecology in accord with the rhythm/harmony of nature.

“This right carries with it a correlative duty especially of the government duty-bearers to refrain from impairing the environment.

“Since reclamation/other coastal development projects negate and are wholly incompatible with these constitutionally guaranteed rights, it is only apt that we stop these destructive projects and ensure the integrity of our ocean.

“It is time to mend distorted priorities, to listen to science and to the voices on the ground. Time to uphold the rule of law.

“We call upon the government to effectively implement the amended Fisheries Code of the Philippines to ensure that our fishing grounds are adequately protected and managed as well as the preferential rights of municipal/artisanal fisherfolks protected and respected.

“We call for the protection of our environment/health/natural resources/traditional fishing grounds/cultural heritage/local businesses/coastal communities.

“We call to end the displacement of coastal and urban poor communities.

“We call on the government officials to refrain from entering into agreements without a full, vigorous discussion of the environmental, health, social, economic, cultural costs of this project.

“We call for full transparency of government projects and for meaningful consultations for the protection of our coasts.”