Human Rights Online Philippines

1,000 kilometer, 40-day Climate Walk led by Philippine Chief Negotiator for UN Climate Talks
Marches to Ground Zero Tacloban on Typhoon Haiyan Anniversary

Dubbed as the Climate Walk: A People’s Walk for Climate Justice, the march gathered various environmental groups, celebrities, government officials, faith groups, youth, and individuals[i] during its launch last October 2 in Luneta, Manila, the International Day for Non-Violence, to take on a 40-day walk to reach Tacloban City on November 8, the first anniversary of the super typhoon’s historic land fall.

Led by Philippine Negotiator to UN Climate Change Talks and Climate Change Commissioner Naderev “Yeb” Saño, the Climate Walk campaigned for local governments to commit to taking action against the climate crisis by committing to draft their own Local Climate Change Action Plans (LCCAP) and Disaster Risk Reduction Management (DRRM) Programs and for world leaders to take drastic, urgent action against climate change.

Yeb Sano, the usually shy negotiator from the Philippines whose family’s hometown, Leyte, suffered most the wrath of Typhoon Haiyan, was ushered into the international spotlight when he delivered a very emotional speech at the UN Climate Talks last year in Warsaw at the height of the devastation of Haiyan that hit the Philippines. In his speech, he called on world leaders to “stop the climate change madness” and started a fasting during the COP until a meaningful outcome has been achieved. Saño’s own brother, AG Sano, a popular visual artist in the Philippines, survived the onslaught, helped gather dead bodies and rescued survivors.

In a statement in one of the Climate Walk programs in Samar, Eastern Visayas, Yeb Sano said “This battle can only be won in the grassroots. We cannot wait for sovereign nations to take action. We must, at the grassroots, embrace solutions.”

Philippines Demands Climate Justice

In 2013, the Philippines suffered the tremendous impact of Typhoon Haiyan, taking almost 10,000 lives and destroying farmlands, fisheries, and livelihoods of people. Months after, Southern Luzon and Northern Visayas were again hit by Typhoon Rammasun (Glenda), which damaged billions-worth of infrastructures and livelihood. Recently, Typhoon Mario (Fung-Wong) flooded the streets of Metro Manila, paralyzing the country’s capital and causing about PhP 1.14B crop damage.

Following the People’s Climate March last September 23 in NY, which mobilized about 400,000 people, Climate Walk encouraged people deemed most vulnerable to climate change – farmers and fisherfolks – as well as youth, faith groups, and the public to support the Climate Walk even in their own little ways. Photos of “selfeets” or “selfies of feet” began flooding social media as netizens from all over the world showed their support to the Climate Walk.

“Our destination is not only Tacloban. Our destination is the hearts and minds of the nation and the whole world, hearts and minds that can change the world,” Saño ended his statement.

For more inquiries and updates on the Ground Zero Tacloban activities of the Climate Walk, please contact Rash Caritativo (+63) 917 863 8055 or email at media.climatewalk@gmail.com.
For photos and stories of the climate walk, you may download at http://bit.ly/1zr6hYP. Kindly credit photos to Climate Walk.