Saturday, June 14, 2008
Day two at Climate Defenders Camp, Bgy Ingore, Iloilo City
Greenpeace yesterday established their Climate Defenders Camp at the exact site of a proposed coal-fired power plant in Barangay Ingore, Iloilo City. The camp consists of a tower and tents on a seaside area that was previously used for fish ponds but now allocated for the said coal plant. Banners with messages saying 'Quit Coal, Save the Climate' and 'Coal causes Climate Change' are hung around the camp, located a few kilometers away from the center of the city. Since yesterday, Greenpeace activists who are staying in the camp have been transmitting messages and images of the protest to a global audience and seek support to stop the proposed coal-fired power plant. The activists are joined by local volunteers, representatives from RISE (Responsible Ilonggos for Sustainable Energy), and crew from the organization's flagship Rainbow Warrior, currently in the Philippines for its 'Quit Coal – Save the Climate' ship tour. The Rainbow Warrior is anchored near the Climate Defenders Camp, providing support to Greenpeace volunteers on the ground.
Greenpeace has set up a camp in the coal plant site to step up the public opposition to the proposed coal plant. The camp is meant to be a hub for local communities and groups who are against the plant. The camp serves as a center for their public awareness campaigns about the ill effects of coal-fired power plants, climate change and its dangerous impacts, and solutions such as RE and EE.
The construction of the camp yesterday, as well as the set up of the Greenpeace-Solar Generation Solar Café at Bgy. Ingore has caught the attention of the coal-fired power plant proponents Panay Power Corporation and Global Business Power Corporation (a subsidiary of Metrobank), who would like to see the camp dismantled.
This morning, a police checkpoint is preventing media, pro-environment supporters, students, bikers and the Solar Café team from entering Bgy Ingore.
Events for today
Bikers
30 bikers from local biking groups will be visiting the camp to lend their support to the activists
* Cookout
Activists in the camp have set up solar cookers as part of their camp activities
* Forum
RISE is hosting a forum on site on the impacts of coal, for residents of nearby barangays
Friday, June 13, 2008
From the Solar Cafe Point of View
We arrived on site early in the morning to set up the Solar Cafe, our venue for engaging the community in what we were doing at the proposed coal plant site. From a distance I could see the volunteer-filled inflatables waiting by the coastline, and the sight of the approaching Rainbow Warrior and all that it stood for still made me catch my breath, even as I was apprehensive about how the first few hours would turn out. Somehow the shipís presence gave me reassurance that everything was going to be okay, that our teams would be safe, and that we would be able to deliver our message loud and clear.
There was a bit of a standoff when the barangay captain first arrived. His vehicle was about 20 meters away, headlights flashing, but he wasnít approaching or getting out. At this point my mind couldnít help but play western movie music as I wondered if and how he would make the first move.
Well, the media decided for us since suddenly they were everywhere, interviewing representatives of the Responsible Ilonggos for Sustainable Energy (RISE), the barangay captain, and our Greenpeace campaigners.
We had several confrontations wherein we tried to appease those who came and tried to stop us, to the extent of them pulling down our streamers. The barangay captain kept insisting that had we followed procedures and given notice, he would have given his support. Sure. Then there was that whole hullabaloo about PPC owning the land and the access road we were on, so we had to move two meters back from the shoulder of the road, and that the land owner of that land instructed the barangay captain that we couldnít stay there, when in fact we had the land ownerís full support to set up the Solar Cafe, with the help of our RISE allies.
When they realized they couldnít kick us out, the pro-coal leaders immediately launched their own impromptu 'rally,' calling on their allegedly paid supporters and trying to put their pro-coal streamers over ours. The police arrived in several batches and were surprised and amused that instead of finding violent protesters and trespassers, they found volunteers serving them fruit shakes with a smile.
At the height of the sunís heat, things calmed down for us at the Cafe and the scene started looking like a picnic, with our friends from RISE bringing in food, Manong Buko delivering fresh coconuts, and our Cafe Manager serving us coconut shake, guaranteed to make you forget your name. I was still worried about our team in the Camp, and had my eyes glued to what and who was coming in and out, since we were along the way of the only land access to the site where the Camp was built. Nothing out of control, thankfully, as far as when we pulled out the Solar Cafe at around 6pm after a small forum with community members.
Our day with the Solar Cafe ended with village children posing for our cameras, the Rainbow Warrior at a comfortingly close distance, and an orange sunset reflecting off the fishpond waters ñ a nice scenery if not for the belching smokestacks from the diesel power plant in the background. I looked towards the Camp several ponds across and silently wished my fellow Climate Defenders safety for the night. Tomorrow will be another day.
There was a bit of a standoff when the barangay captain first arrived. His vehicle was about 20 meters away, headlights flashing, but he wasnít approaching or getting out. At this point my mind couldnít help but play western movie music as I wondered if and how he would make the first move.
Well, the media decided for us since suddenly they were everywhere, interviewing representatives of the Responsible Ilonggos for Sustainable Energy (RISE), the barangay captain, and our Greenpeace campaigners.
We had several confrontations wherein we tried to appease those who came and tried to stop us, to the extent of them pulling down our streamers. The barangay captain kept insisting that had we followed procedures and given notice, he would have given his support. Sure. Then there was that whole hullabaloo about PPC owning the land and the access road we were on, so we had to move two meters back from the shoulder of the road, and that the land owner of that land instructed the barangay captain that we couldnít stay there, when in fact we had the land ownerís full support to set up the Solar Cafe, with the help of our RISE allies.
When they realized they couldnít kick us out, the pro-coal leaders immediately launched their own impromptu 'rally,' calling on their allegedly paid supporters and trying to put their pro-coal streamers over ours. The police arrived in several batches and were surprised and amused that instead of finding violent protesters and trespassers, they found volunteers serving them fruit shakes with a smile.
At the height of the sunís heat, things calmed down for us at the Cafe and the scene started looking like a picnic, with our friends from RISE bringing in food, Manong Buko delivering fresh coconuts, and our Cafe Manager serving us coconut shake, guaranteed to make you forget your name. I was still worried about our team in the Camp, and had my eyes glued to what and who was coming in and out, since we were along the way of the only land access to the site where the Camp was built. Nothing out of control, thankfully, as far as when we pulled out the Solar Cafe at around 6pm after a small forum with community members.
Our day with the Solar Cafe ended with village children posing for our cameras, the Rainbow Warrior at a comfortingly close distance, and an orange sunset reflecting off the fishpond waters ñ a nice scenery if not for the belching smokestacks from the diesel power plant in the background. I looked towards the Camp several ponds across and silently wished my fellow Climate Defenders safety for the night. Tomorrow will be another day.
- Tanya Conlu
Save the Climate - Quit Coal in Iloilo, Philippines
Do you remember the movie “The day after tomorrow” ? When I watched it a shudder ran through me and I felt helpless with this dooms day atmosphere in relation to Climate Change. Entering the climate defenders camp this morning here in Iloilo, Philippines in the area of a proposed coal fired power plant, reveals a completely different picture; laughter, colourful flags and banners all around the site, happy but tired Greenpeace activists are working to improve the camp and an atmosphere of peace prevails.
The local children have found their way into the camp and use our improvised pier made of rafts as a platform to jump into the sea. Shouting, clapping and splashing are filling the air. Next to us some workers of the existing power plant have set up camp. I overheard that they are quite happy to be here as they are paid overtime and just have to sit and watch. I feel relieved. The situation looked differently yesterday. Police and the local pro coal village officials came with a whole crowd into the camp and threatened to dissemble the camp. After some negotiation they backed off. This morning they blocked off the road to the camp not letting any camp supporters like nuns and bikers through. Now everything has calmed down.
Most important is the feeling of giving hope to the community here. A nun came to me 2 days ago and thanked me for Greenpeace being here. That makes even the worst heat bearable.
Britten
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Happy Independence Day!
Actress, model and longtime Greenpeace advocate Angel Aquino celebrates Independence Day with Greenpeace's Climate Defenders Camp.
x.s.
I find this quote from Bill Pullman in from the movie Independence Day quite timely:
"We will not go quietly into the night!" We will not vanish without a fight! We're going to live on! We're going to survive! Today we celebrate our Independence Day!
x.s.
I find this quote from Bill Pullman in from the movie Independence Day quite timely:
"We will not go quietly into the night!" We will not vanish without a fight! We're going to live on! We're going to survive! Today we celebrate our Independence Day!
- chuck baclagon
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Solidarity night against coal
We were all in high hopes as music from Noel Cabangon and other local artists filled the halls of the Pius XII Catechetical School in Iloilo for a solidarity concert that was held with the local coal opposition in Iloilo, and what made it extra special is that as we were about to start news came that the House of Representatives approved on third and final reading on the Renewable Energy Bill that would expedite the development of renewable and indigenous energy sources, a wonderful night indeed....
- chuck baclagon
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Go not gently into the night
In two days the Philippines will be remembering its day of independence from Spain a little more than a century ago. In line with that we thought it fitting also for the Filipinos, more specifically the Ilongos to declare once again freedom not from tyranny or imperial oppression but from the greatest threat facing humanity today: climate change upon which coal is the greatest culprit.
So there in the quiet of the night we along with people from the community and the church we solemnly lit candles symbolizing our opposition living out the famous lines of Dylan Thomas’ poem that reads: “Do not go gentle into that good night…”
In the short program the Captain Mike, retold the legend of the Rainbow Warriors concluding that in the end we are all warriors who are in a long quest for freedom and true enough we all are and in the case of Iloilo we are with them in their noble pursuit of freedom from coal.
So there in the quiet of the night we along with people from the community and the church we solemnly lit candles symbolizing our opposition living out the famous lines of Dylan Thomas’ poem that reads: “Do not go gentle into that good night…”
In the short program the Captain Mike, retold the legend of the Rainbow Warriors concluding that in the end we are all warriors who are in a long quest for freedom and true enough we all are and in the case of Iloilo we are with them in their noble pursuit of freedom from coal.
- Chuck Baclagon
Day 6: Leafletting
This is how Dick spent half of his day on the climate camp.
photos by: Beau Baconguis
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