Earth Day caravan hits destruction of environment, lives

A Panay-wide caravan was held on the occasion of Earth Day to denounce the Arroyo government's programs that 'destruct the environment and livelihood of the people.'

Religious, civic and cause-oriented groups from Aklan, Capiz, Antique and Iloilo joined the said caravan. Delegation from Aklan, Capiz and Northern Iloilo converged at the town of Zarraga, Iloilo while Iloilo City participants met the group from Antique in the town of Oton, Iloilo.

When the Zarraga contingent arrived at Jaro Plaza, they were joined by the peasant group, Pamanggas (Paghugpong sang Mangunguma sa Panay kag Guimaras) and waited for the Oton delegation to troop the major streets of Iloilo City.  Jeepneys were adorned by placards and green flaglets carrying the slogans, “ No to Mining Act of 1995! No to Coal-Fired Power Plant! Defend our National Patrimony!”.

The caravan proceeded to Capitol grounds for a program, cultural play and concert organized by Ilongo Concerned Artists for the Environment (I-CARE). A cultural play entitled “ Juan Bayabas” depicted the historical background (from pre-Spanish era to the present) of how the colonizers and foreign capitalists plundered the country's natural resources.

According to Ma. Geobelyn Lopez, secretary general of Madia-as Ecological Movement (MEM), the island of Panay has many mining applications for its vast minerals and resources. Lopez pointed out the case of quarry exploration of manganese in Brgy. Tina, Dumarao, Capiz by a Taiwanese firm.

“The liberalization of the mining industry through the Mining Act of 995 is a blatant manifestation of the neocolonial servility of the government to the unsatiable greed of foreign capitalists.  It strengthens imperialist domination, exploitation and plunder of the country's economy and resources under the scheme of imperialist globalization. It also spells the legitimization of massive landgrabbing of ancestral domain and farmlands by transnational and big local mining companies and the wanton destruction of communities and the ecological environment,” Lopez explained.

Aside from the mining issue, speakers during the program tackled the infamous coal-fired power plant and the privatization of power industry.  Even concerns on taxes and price hikes were also criticized by leaders of militant groups.

“It is becoming apparent that the Arroyo regime is pushing the people to the brink of death by continuously implementing policies and programs that guarantee higher prices of basic commodities, service rates and taxes. And now, Mrs. Arroyo is also determined to suppress people's basic right to register their opposition to her anti-people policies by enacting the National ID System,” Boy Bosque of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) – Panay and one of the organizers of the said activities.

The day's activities were concluded by a concert sponsored by I-CARE. It featured artists from diverse musical backgrounds:  Filipino ethnic music, protest folk music, rock and reggae and even classical music came together in protest of destruction of environment and people's lives.