GUIUAN, Eastern Visayas — Joanna Sustento, a resident of Tacloban in Leyte, lost everything when Super Typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines in November 2013. The cyclone, locally known as Yolanda, uprooted millions of people and killed thousands, including her family members.

A year after the tragedy, she met a group of climate activists who had walked from Manila to Tacloban to demand action from world leaders.

“Because of them, I began to realize that everything was taken away by that storm. But we gained powerful stories to tell—stories that can put a human face to the numbers and statistics of climate science,” Sustento said.

She has since used her voice to make people aware of the devastating impacts of climate change, and call for action and justice for communities.

But even before Haiyan altered the way residents view climate change, a group of concerned citizens from Homonhon Island in Guiuan town had been also working to fight climate change.

Billy Abueme, a local of the island, served as the leader of Hero Homonhon when it began in 1986. He started the movement in response to the consequences of climate change that they had been experiencing.

“The protection of the environment is one of our driving forces in the climate change movement. Second is our experience because of the [changes in] the environment in recent decades,” he said.

Hero Homonhon also works to stop mining, and improve agricultural sustainability on the island.

Abueme, now 54, hopes the younger generation will continue the fight against climate change.

Youth’s role
Young people are least responsible for the warming of the planet and the loss of biodiversity, but they are the ones who are most affected by the consequences of these.
Many young people suffer from eco anxiety. They also deal with academic pressure, effects of the pandemic, and personal or family problems.

“However, despite it all, we see how the youth recognize their significant role in the fight against the climate crisis,” Sustento said.

“Over the last few years, more and more young people are speaking out and taking up space in both local and global platforms, because they realize that there is no future to look forward to if they take the backseat and let government leaders make decisions without their participation,” she added.

Some 257 Facebook users volunteer for climate groups in Eastern Visayas, mostly in Eastern Samar. There are roughly 20 environmental organizations in the region.

One of these groups is Lanang Youth Ecoscouts. It is a non-profit organization based in the third-class municipality of Llorente in Eastern Samar that focuses on the protection of Samar Island Natural Park (SINP). It was established in November 2021.

SINP is the country’s largest terrestrial protected area, covering three cities and 34 municipalities. Declared a protected area in April 2003, SINP also features one of the largest limestone formations in the Philippines.

The group was founded because there was no organization in the region focusing on environmental protection, and because Llorente is a part of the SINP.

Members of Lanang conserve and maintain the area’s upstream regions, as well as educate residents, especially the youth, about the importance of SINP.

Conserved habitats can remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store carbon, as well as reduce the devastating impacts of climate change, including flooding.

“In the case of Eastern Visayas, this means that fighting for climate change advocacies mean fighting for environmental issues to preserve our existing ecosystem stock such as mangroves and seagrasses (such as in Kankabato Bay) which provide services such as protection from storm surge and food services for the local population,” said Dakila Yee, an assistant professor at the University of the Philippines Tacloban College.

Struggles
Despite being a newly-formed organization, Lanang Youth Ecoscouts already conducted projects introducing SINP to young people and planting trees.

But it is facing a number of challenges, one of which is the lack of funds needed to function. A P100 contribution is collected from each member, which is used to print and distribute flyers about SNIP. Lanang has 23 members.

The organization also deals with communication challenges. As members live kilometers apart and there is inconsistent internet availability in the municipality, they cannot hold meetings as frequently.

“Even if we have a lot of plans, we won’t be able to carry them out because we don’t have a budget… We have to travel to different barangays to hold a meeting, which is very difficult for us because the only way to get there is by boat,” said Adrian Aspa, who leads Lanang Youth Ecoscouts.

Despite the presence of lush forests and surrounding waters, there is a lack of groups that are focused on protecting these important ecosystems.

“I agree that the youth (and also adults) lose focus on biological diversity. Perhaps, one way to think about it is that we think of climate change as a human species problem, and so our solutions privilege humans—tide embankments, causeways, but we neglect to think about the spillover effect to non-humans,” Yee said.

Continued advocacy
Aspa hopes his organization will help minimize illegal forestry operations in Llorente and produce more eco-advocates who will aid in the lobbying for the protection of biodiversity, especially in SINP.

Abueme of Hero Homonhon wishes that the younger generation will contribute to reducing the effects of climate change and encourage a shift in the way people live. He also hopes that the government will do its part in the climate fight.

“I hope that it will be sustained by the other generations to come because we cannot solve the climate problem in an instant. We wish that there will be second liners in every generation that would continue advocating for climate. “

Sustento echoed Abueme. “We should continue to find ways to continuously support and encourage the youth, because their leadership, willpower, and courage are qualities that current governments and world leaders should have.”

(This story is supported by Climate Tracker and Oxfam Philippines)

SHANE CARMACETE

TACLOBAN CITY– The Leyte Second District Engineering Office (L2DEO) of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has completed the construction of a flood control structure along a portion of the Ibawon River Basin in Barangay Burabod, MacArthur, Leyte.

The construction of the project started on March 21, 2022 and was completed on December 10 with a project amount of P47.039 million.

It involved the construction of a revetment wall made of gabions and stone masonry works with concrete facing.

According to District Engineer Leo Edward Oppura, the project will lessen the consequences of flooding in the villages and neighboring municipalities brought on by torrential rains that led the water to rise quickly.

Aside from mitigating measures to prevent disasters, it will also protect the Ibawon Bridge from possible damage when the ravaging water passes through the bridge.
The flood control structure is designed to protect coastal and river bank areas, including urban and agricultural communities, homes, and other economically valuable areas, and the people located within them.

The completion of this flood mitigation structure will ensure protection against possible flooding of about 337 residents of Brgy.Burabod and nearby communities.
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)

TACLOBAN CITY – Christmas is merry for families who were displaced by typhoon ‘Agaton’ in Abuyog, Leyte after they received temporary shelters donated by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) together with the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

A total of 141 displaced families from Barangay Pilar, one of the hard-hit areas of a landslide that happened during the onslaught of Agaton April this year.

The temporary shelters were constructed in New Pilar village, the new permanent site of the displaced residents.

“I wish to convey my heartfelt gratitude to the humanitarian organizations for their selfless support and commitment to uphold welfare of humanity and community development. The USAID together with the IOM had continuously supported, funded and realized this cause,” Vice Mayor Lemuel Gin Traya said during the turn-over ceremony held on December 19.
Traya was the mayor of Abuyog when Agaton devastated the municipality.

The local government reported more than 50 residents died when a landslide hit the coastal community.

For several months, the residents stayed at the municipal evacuation center while waiting for the relocation site.

Aside from the 141 temporary shelters in Abuyog, 59 transitional shelters were also turned over by USAID to families in Baybay City.

These are part of the 1,000 transitional shelters provided by USAID and IOM to typhoon Odette and typhoon Agaton displaced families in the Visayas and Mindanao.

“Through continued close collaboration with local government units and national line agencies, IOM has provided transitional shelters, shelter repair kits, cash assistance, hygiene promotion activities, and mental health and psychosocial support to affected communities in the provinces of Leyte, Southern Leyte, Dinagat Islands and Surigao del Norte,” IOM statement said.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

The Bureau of Fire Protection Region 8 headed by C/Supt. Adel De Paz Bautista, DSC, Regional Director, received six (6) units of brand new ambulances from the BFP National Headquarters that would be used by the recipient fire stations in the provinces of Northern Leyte, Biliran and Northern Samar.

These ambulances are given to the municipalities of Bato, Julita, Hilongos and Matalom in Northern Leyte, Catarman in Northern Samar, and Naval in Biliran Province.

Having these number of ambulances in the region, CSupt.Bautista expressed his gratitude to the BFP National Headquarters, especially to the Fire Chief Director Louie S. Puracan, CEO VI for their benevolence in giving Eastern Visayas six (6) Brand New Nissan Urban NV350 Ambulances with complete medical accessories designed in accordance with the international standard.

These ambulances, which were properly turned over by the National Headquarters last 10 December 2022, was received by the local chief executives or representatives of each municipality and the respective Municipal Fire Marshals.

Accordingly, said emergency vehicles are compliant with the guidelines of the Department of Health requiring for a Type-I Ambulance, which provides care and avoidance of aggravation of the patient’s injury while on transport to medical facilities.

These consists of a two-way radio communication device, immobilization devices, monitoring and/or defibrillator, ventilation airway equipment, chest compression device, dressing and bandages, infection control and various EMS kits and supplies and obstetrical delivery set.

The Regional Director stressed out that this new vehicle, would help a lot on our responses to any emergency calls, as we are bounded as Fire Officers with the mandate to save lives and properties.

On the other hand, the Regional Director calls for the counterpart support of the recipient fire stations, to help sustain the serviceability of the vehicle.

This is one among the answers to our prayers to help us acquire the needed equipment and facility in our commitment to serve the public.

“This would help us a lot, especially to our personnel who are assigned in the Emergency Medical Services,” said CSupt. Bautista. Our EMS Staff need not worry because these brand-new ambulances also feature a Negative Pressure System that is capable of eliminating at least three kinds of viruses for the safety and welfare of BFP personnel during its operation.(PR)