World Oceans Day is held every 8th of June annually to unite the world in celebrating the wonders of the oceans and taking actions to protect our shared marine resources. The oceans and marine biodiversity are unfortunately degrading at a fast rate due to destructive human practices.
Today, as we commemorate the World Environment Day with the theme “Celebrate Biodiversity”, we are one with environmental defenders and fellow advocates in working towards a common goal of protecting biodiversity for the health and well-being of the citizenry. The spread of zoonotic diseases like COVID-19 is a result of the degraded ecosystems tantamount to the loss of biodiversity.
The world currently faces an urgent biodiversity crisis. The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services stated in a 2019 report that up to one million plant and animal species globally face extinction within decades because of human activities.
“We will not retreat, instead, we are keeping the fight alive, so that our great, great grandchildren – the grandchildren of our grandchildren – will not be displaced from the land of our birth.”
‘We shall let the nation witness once again a successful defense of the Chico River to let the river flow free, and as the fire of our dissent engulfs a tyrant’s aspiration for absolute power. Never will we let it be recorded in history that a fascist ruler has crushed the peoples’ movement with tyranny.’ – Cordillera Peoples Alliance
The Center for Environmental Concerns-Philippines (CEC) welcomes commitments on conservation efforts from the recently concluded Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) 12th Conference of Parties (COP 12) held in Manila, Philippines. However, we believe that Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Roy Cimatu should be honest with its claims onthe Philippine government’s effort in conserving and protecting migratory species and wildlife in the country.
