Environmental advocates: We dared and succeeded

We dared defy the odds, and succeeded. The Supreme Court, by a unanimous vote,  has ruled that the offshore oil drilling in Tañon Strait Protected Seascape is unconstitutional.

To most of the citizens opposed  to  the destructive oil drilling in Tañon Strait, it was their first time to challenge government and assert  their nonnegotiable  and guaranteed rights to life, livelihood and a healthy environment.   It was the classic David v Goliath battle. Fisherfolk, civil society members, students, professionals, business people and dedicated public servants used the only tool within their means –  their knowledge, courage  and  indomitable spirit to fight for their rights and those of the defenseless against the entire machinery of the proponent Executive department. Their shared passion created the birth of the Save Tañon Strait Citizens Movement (STSCM).

For Ben Cabrido, the lawyer for the cetaceans and colleague in the environmental law advocacy,  it was “a fight bigger than the fight of Manny Pacquiao.”

The Arroyo administration,  without public consultation, and compliance  with the requirements of the Constitution and various laws, with the support of the former local chief executives of the province of Cebu and two Cebu municipalities, allowed the seismic survey and oil drilling project with Japan Petroleum Exploration (Japex) Philippines Ltd. (Japex).

The battlefield was Tañon Strait,  the largest marine protected area in the country, a key conservation zone for reef fishes and cetaceans, then considered one of the richest fishing grounds and the migratory pathway of whales and dolphins where half of the entire species in the country could be found.

For Doc Lem  Aragones, Ph.D, now the Director of UP Diliman’s Institute of Environmental Science and Meteorology,  and a cetacean expert conducting studies in Tañon Strait for more than twelve years, Tañon Strait is “a unique and very important part of the marine biodiversity profile of the Philippines, and which is of national, global and ecological importance. This is shown by the very high diversity of cetaceans in this area and its use as their breeding, nursery, feeding and resting grounds.” https://www.panap.net/sites/default/files/tanon-saga.pdf

READ: SC declares oil exploration in Tañon Strait unconstitutional

The oil drilling in Tañon Strait plunged affected subsistence fisherfolk deeper into debt as they were prohibited from fishing in their traditional fishing grounds. The image of the fisherfolk on the shore with the Philippine government’s vessel and the oil rig in the background is still vivid and captured so well the dire situation then prevailing.

The fisherfolk’s catch dwindled from 10- 20 kilos to 1-2 kilos a day. This journey into deeper state of penury  and hardship is documented in a published work “Hunger and Plunder in the Sea”, https://www.archive.foodsov.org/resources/hungerplunder.pdf.  The study was the result of an international fact-finding mission sponsored by the Pesticide Action Network Asia and the Pacific (PANAP) and People’s Coalition on Food Sovereignty (PCFS), from October 20 – 23, 2008. It “confirmed findings that the marine environment and the fisherfolk’s tenure and food security have been destroyed and are continuously being threatened by offshore oil and gas exploration of foreign companies under service contracts that infringe upon the Philippines’ national patrimony and sovereignty.”

Fishkills were reported in both Cebu and Negros. The significant drop in sightings of certain species of whales and dolphins in the area are documented.

These disheartening news prodded the STSCM members into action. Without financial resources, they contributed their skills and knowledge, held informal environmental education courses and interacted with the affected fisherfolk and stakeholders. The professors exposed their students to life in Tañon Strait including having magical encounters with the remaining species of dolphins.

Recognition was given to exemplary local leaders who supported them in the fight to restore the integrity of the protected seascape. Campus tours in the entire country became a regular event, with speakers’ bureau created to meet the increasing demand from the public  for the STSCM members to share their grassroots experiences. Websites were created to hasten the information dissemination process. The Integrated Bar of the Philippines local chapters and the Cebu Chamber of Commerce called the attention of government to the dire environmental and social impacts of the project. Media was a strong ally, covering almost all of the activities, with columns, cartoons and op eds on the issue. The environmental issues led to the birth of the Phil. Earth Justice Center. There was truly a convergence in the real sense of the word – the cases to stop the drilling were filed by fisherfolks and local stakeholders, and by the resident cetaceans represented by its human guardians.  And,  the rest is history.

The Tañon Ruling came at a most opportune time, on the eve of the global celebration of Earth Day on April 22. It excited cheers and jubilation, not just in the Philippines, but from friends and colleagues in various corners of the world.

This columnist was in,  all places, Tañon Strait, in the municipality of San Jose, Negros Oriental waiting for the scheduled meeting  with Mayor Romollo, when PIA made it a breaking news.

Lisa Paguntalan, Executive Director of Philippines Biodiversity Conservation Foundation, Inc. (PBCFI)  happily spoke for all when she said “There is still hope in the Philippines.” Yes, indeed.
Amid the euphoria that the Tañon ruling created, the fight to protect and defend Tañon Strait continues.