More than a thousand residents of Dumaguete, including foreigners, joined the People’s Climate March Sept. 22, said to be the largest environment protest in history, demanding urgent actions to address the issue of human-induced factors that impact on climate change.
“The People’s Climate March Dumaguete was a product of volunteerism, groups who saw the urgency for climate solutions both locally and internationally. I honestly did not expect that many people [to participate], but we had a beautiful turnout of people marching together. This has shown that Dumaguetenos are united in terms of protecting our environment, especially the campaign to protect the watershed and biodiversity of our last forest cover at Mt. Talinis,” said John Lumapay, volunteer of 350.org and organizer of the demonstration.
The protest march, which started at Freedom Park, highlighted the call to stop the cutting of trees in Mt. Talinis, brought about by the expansion of the geothermal power plant of the Energy Development Corp. in Nasulo, barangay Puhagan in Valencia town.
The march ended at Quezon Park with a two-hour program.
The People’s Climate March in Dumaguete was joined by more than 30 organizations representing the academe, people’s organizations, artists, religious groups, and cause-oriented groups.
The march also highlighted local environmental issues and efforts calling for transparency, for a concrete policy for the protection of forests from exploitation, and the conservation of water systems.
Elsewhere in the Philippines, mass actions in support of the Climate March were also held in Manila and Davao.
The People’s Climate March drew around 400,000 people in New York City to express the urgent need for meaningful climate action.
There were around 2,700 mass actions around the globe, with marches in China, India, Senegal, Zimbabwe, Turkey, South Africa, London, Mexico City, and Berlin. (Ritche Galon/350.org)