If you haven’t read the news yet, scientists are warning us that, in just a few years, Earth could literally become uninhabitable because of climate change.
As individuals, we can only do so much to help in this fight against the climate crisis. What we need is systemic change, which may be best achieved through law- and policy-making.
With this, we need leaders, law-makers, and government officials who listen to scientists and support environmental protection. Let’s take a moment to go over each candidate’s stances on climate change, the environment, and science.
Ernie Abella
Statement
“This occasion is a good reminder of our commitment to fight climate change and our solidarity to the rest of the world in spreading the message that while we pursue economic development programs, we continuously aspire for sustainable, climate change-resilient living.”
- Urged Filipinos to participate in Earth Hour as the presidential spokesperson in 2017.
- Acknowledged the country’s need for energy transition.
Past Actions
No data available.
Plans of Action
- Will “spread the pie with creating more jobs, more decent and responsible jobs” in the mining industry in a way that is “more environmentally responsible.”
- Will support the integration of microgrids in far-flung areas.
- Will propose environmental awareness programs for the youth.
Leody De Guzman
Statement
“Ayaw ko ng giyera. Ang gusto kong giyera ay giyera laban sa kahirapan at global warming.”
- Expressed disapproval against using nuclear energy; claimed that it will only worsen the country’s environmental issues.
Past Actions
- Included two environmentalists, Roy Cabonegro and David D’Angelo, in his senatorial slate.
- Marched with environmentalists in Koronadal City to protest against the lifting of the provincial ban on open-pit mining.
- Served as a guest speaker for a local university’s webinar on environmental education.
- Uses biodegradable and eco-friendly materials (e.g. stone paper) for campaign paraphernalia; challenged his fellow candidates (from presidential to councilor level) to do the same.
Plans of Action
- Will make climate justice one of his priorities; His “climate crisis action plan” includes the following:
- Engaging in independent foreign policy to tackle economic and climate-related issues;
- Shifting to renewable energy (solar, wind, and tidal);
- Pushing for closure of coal plants in two years;
- Calling for reparation from big countries for environmental damage; and,
- Commencing ecological restoration projects.
Isko Moreno
Statement
“Nakipaglaban ang environmentalists na linisin ang Manila Bay, and fortunately for them, Supreme Court decided on the matter.”
- Claimed that the Dolomite Project was an appropriate response to environmentalists’ calls to clean up Manila Bay.
- “Okay lang mag-mina, basta may disiplina!”
Past Actions
- Asked members of the Manila City School Board to install solar panels and rainwater collectors on the rooftops of public schools.
- Signed City Ordinance No. 8607, in which the Arroceros Forest Park, also known as “the last lung” of Manila, underwent a series of destructive changes (supposedly “improvements”) that disrupted the forest’s local flora and fauna.
Plans of Action
- Will utilize solar energy to adopt Germany’s and Netherlands’s agrivoltaic system, in which solar energy will be used for agriculture and power generation, producing both food and power at the same time.
- Will administer reforestation through:
- Coordinating with IP groups and LGUs;
- Producing more jobs, green spaces, and trees will be produced in the mountains and in far-flung areas.
Reception
- Moreno was labeled as “anti-environment” in a The Manila Times article, which cited four key things he has done as mayor that were harmful to the environment.
- Last November 2021, a video depicting a “graveyard of old trees” along Quirino Avenue in Manila circulated online. Some people infer that Moreno gave the green light to carry out the tree removal.
Norberto Gonzales
Statement
“Nagbabago ang klima ng mundo. There’s nothing much we can do about it.”
- Acknowledged how the effects of climate change are “already apparent” in the Philippines, but claimed that, after consulting scientists about the matter, there is “nothing much” we can do to address it.
Past Actions
No data available.
Plans of Action
- Will stop open-pit mining.
- Will implement a mechanism in which all income from natural resources will be put in a sovereign fund, in order to ensure that these resources will not be used up for just one generation.
- Will accelerate the elimination of fossil fuels in the country and to explore other possible sources of energy.
Ping Lacson
Statement
“It is time for the community of nations to really take this issue very seriously. The Earth can only take so much abuse, cruelty, and punishment from man.”
- “We should encourage [mining] . . . They are just lying underneath the ground,” saying that mining should be encouraged as long as it is done responsibly.
- “Dapat data-driven and science-based lagi ang ating decision.”
- Expressed support for nuclear energy, calling it the “cheapest power alternative.”
Past Actions
- Sought a review of the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010 so that it can be modified to be more “climate responsive.”
- Claimed that he, along with Tito Sotto, continues to do research and conduct consultations on issues relating to climate change.
- Pushed for the budget increase of the DENR-Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) and of pollution laboratories in Visayas and Mindanao.
Plans of Action
- Will make the Philippines a “model country” when it comes to combating climate change, most notably through reforestation, energy transition, and “carbon emissions testing.”
- Will use science and data as basis in addressing climate change.
Faisal Mangondato
Statement
- Expressed support for the implementation of the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.
- Expressed support for the Manila Bay Dolomite Project.
Past Actions
No data available.
Plans of Action
No data available.
Bongbong Marcos
Statement
“Seryosohin nating ang usapin [ng climate change], at talakayin natin sa ating mga pamilya, sa ating mga kaibigan, sa ating mga katrabaho, at sa ating buong lipunan.”
- “By having a purely anti-mining policy, we are not taking advantage of that [industry] and therefore we are lessening the benefits that we can give to our people… We need to balance the requirements of the economy, assistance to local governments, and of course the most important factor of protecting our environment.”
- Expressed support for nuclear energy and fossil gas, proposing that Mindanao can be used as a site for nuclear plants.
Past Actions
- Filed the Climate Change Education Act, which required the integration of climate change concepts in tertiary education curricula.
- Filed the Philippine Green Building Act, which established a national “green building” code and incentive system for investors to strive for ecological efficiency in their projects.
- Filed Senate Bill 419, an act regulating the use of plastic bags.
- Called for the integration of climate change mitigation in different aspects of governance, most notably in infrastructure projects.
Plans of Action
- Will implement environment agenda which includes the following:
- Commencing “massive scale” reforestation
- Improving forest conservation
- Enforcing “strict” management of remaining forests
- Will focus on the country’s “air pollution problem.”
- Will strengthen the key provisions of the Mining Act of 1995 for more responsible mining in the country.
Reception
- Environmental activists and organizations campaigned against BBM’s vice presidential bid in 2016, citing the “environmental crimes” that happened during the term of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos. Among these destructive projects mentioned are the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant and the Calaca Coal-Fired Plant.
- Environmentalists also criticized the Marcos’s family’s close ties to powerful figures in the mining industry.
Jose Montemayor Jr.
Statement
“Am I in favor of mining? Depende po . . . Tingnan muna natin ang kapakanan ng ating kababayan. To some extent, I am in favor of open-pit mining, but we should balance it with a proper environment regulation.”
Past Actions
- Wrote a book entitled “Environmental Laws, Health and Impacts.” It covers the topics of environmental law, ethics, and philosophy, and talks about how practicing good ethics is necessary to keep our environment healthy.
Plans of Action
- Will demand accountability from countries such as the US and China for their harmful contributions to global warming.
Manny Pacquiao
Statement
“Magtulong-tulong tayo upang maging malinis ang ating kapaligiran. Ipagpatuloy natin ang pagiging plantita at plantito. Magtanim tayo ng mga puno sa halip na ubusin ang oras sa mga bisyo.”
- “He formed a soil and gave [us] breath because he wants us to be part of the universe that he created. But, there’s but, we call it a responsible mining, meaning do not destroy the environment. Do not destroy the earth.”
- Expressed support for nuclear energy.
Past Actions
- Received the Clean Air Award given by the Clean Air Philippines Movement.
- Pushed for the implementation of the Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999.
Plans of Action
- Will make renewable energy one of his top five priorities (solar, wind, mini-hydro, tidal).
- Will push for floating nuclear power plants.
- Will establish a “super agency” to address climate change by integrating the NDRRMC with the Climate Change Commission.
Leni Robredo
Statement
“Because climate change is not only responding to disasters, but climate change must be deeply embedded in the plans of not only the national government, but also the local governments. We need more proactive, more preventive [measures].”
- Said that nuclear energy is “open to discussion” for her.
- Expressed support for fossil fuel extraction.
- Expressed support for sustainable mining, which she claims can only be achieved with proper mechanisms in place.
- Expressed strong disapproval against coal power plants.
Past Actions
- Signed a pact with environmental groups to work hand-in-hand to protect the environment.
- Consulted experts in disaster prevention and mitigation to further understand the link between climate change and natural disasters.
- Funded projects for reforestation, waste disposal, eco-tourism, and rural community development.
- Worked with the DENR for the implementation of “environmental and socio-economic strategies” in Parola-Baseco.
Plans of Action
- Will advocate for the “inclusion of climate change programs in all plans of government.”
- Will empower those affected by environmental activities by giving stakeholders a mechanism to voice out their concerns.
- Will reimpose ban on open-pit mining.
- Will make a roadmap on how to achieve the goal of carbon-neutrality by 2050.
- Will make the country a “center for the climate industry” by:
- Developing climate-resilient infrastructure projects;
- Adopting more sustainable agricultural practices;
- Establishing a “just framework” for green/renewable energy (solar, wind, geothermal);
- Pushing for the closure of coal plants; and,
- Promoting eco-tourism and sustainable development.
Reception
- Various groups of environmentalists and scientists expressed their support for the Leni-Kiko tandem, saying they have a clear green agenda.
- In 2016, a group of environmentalists released a summary of their assessments on vice presidential candidates. Robredo, along with one other candidate, came out on top.
Our ten presidentiables have a lot of say about how they plan to help our country, and it’s up to you to choose the candidate fit for the job. Review our list to see which one is advocating for your life and for the life of Mother Earth; vote wisely this May 9!
WiTech 