Amidst the community quarantine, leaders of Aksyon Kalikasan held a series of online meetings to re-organize ourselves to find best ways ways and minds to implement the previously agreed additional strategies to our operations as we adopt to our new reality during this quarantine. A quarantine that we expect to eventually lead to lockdowns. While we are hopeful that the country will survive COVID 19 and get back to some level of normalcy; even anticipating that my mid April, we may be able to start implementing again our regular events, we are also preparing for the worse scenario. A scenario where because of these lockdowns and quarantine, an economic crisis will definitely follow and people start losing their jobs and enterprises and the current trend of going back to household and village (Barangay)-level support system becomes the norm and not just an emergency response.
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While we are still hopeful that things will return to some level of normalcy after we survive this current COVDI19 global pandemic and the current community quarantines in a large part of the Philippines, our immediate situation requires a SHIFT in our operation as a national leadership institute on green governance, ecopreneurship development and education for sustainability. Thus, we are developing the following NEW APPROACH and projects to complement our existing programs and projects BUT NOT TO REPLACE them. In an earlier article, I have already explained the challenges and opportunities we face. I also recommend you read the related article on the green communes that Pads Pangan, the Green Party of the Philippines recently wrote. Both are good basis to understand this necessary SHIFT.
TO ALL MEMBERS & VOLUNTEERS OF AKSYON KALIKASAN, This will be short. I hope you are all healthy and safe. WE support the home quarantine. STAY HOME! Let us make the sacrifice for the greater good. We may be ill equipped but we can find solidarity & help for those who are really in DIFFICULT SITUATION. Please let us know. Giving 2-3 days before imposing ban to travel to and from NCR might defeat the intent of the quarantine to contain spread of COVID-19 infection if we see massive exodus out of NCR. I think this is a mistake that government has done. I was rushing home last night expecting the travel ban to be imposed midnight last night. I sincerely hope I am wrong that massive exodus will not happen; including those who may already have the infection regardless if they are showing symptoms for this or not. With this mistake, it is NOW upon the citizens to exercise responsibility where government may be failing. The Jan 3-4 2020 Joint Planning Workshop involves ALL of us to produce good plans to guide our work in 2020 till the pre. elections and immediate post elections period of 2022. It will involve all working units of our 4 organizations (GPP, AK, LCEG & KALIKAS). This puts into an actionable tools (our strategic & operations plans including enterprise business plan, communications and resmob plan) our consensus in numerous meetings we have held over the past few months since we revive our process.
On our 5th year, the Aksyon Kalikasan (Eco Actions Ph) Inc. convened last July 13 2019 its 3rd General Assembly. Delegates from various local chapters from Sorsogon, Bulacan, La Union, Rizal, Cavite and NCR (QC, Manila Makati) came. The Assembly ratified earlier decision of the Board of Trustees for the unification of Aksyon Kalikasan with the Kilusang Luntian. With this unification, we now have almost 500 members in 8 regions, 30 provinces and 58 cities and towns nationwide. From a focus along mobilizing active citizens for direct environmental conservation and protection actions within the Manila Bay Coastal Region (parts of regions 3, CALABARZON and Metro Manila), the Aksyon Kalikasan will now be able to service the needs of our members in many other parts of the country through this expansion. After the student/youth strike, then what? Do you wait for stories about your courageous stand to change the heart and mind of decision makers who can impose on others and influencers whom many follow? Hopeful but naive! Do you go ahead and act on your own? Plant all the trees you can. Recycle every bit of stuffs you can. This is growing and will make a difference but maybe a little bit too late for what we need much earlier. Do you go prepare yourself to be an ethical and fair entrepreneur and start your own green business and contribute in greening production and consumption…can be efficient but will require a lifetime for most average experience except if you are truly exceptional. Do you go and green rate your candidates in the next elections and pin your hopes on political candidates who mouth greens? Maybe, but both businessmen/women and politicians of the past and current generations are the ones who made or did not make crucial decisions and actions that lead us to these shit where we are in in the first place? |
Roy Cabonegro
This is my Green Blog on my insights and learning in my work in Aksyon Kalikasan as its Chairperson & President Archives
March 2020
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