Members of Young Bataenos for Environmental Advocacy Network, EcoWaste Coalition and other advocacy groups organize a forum for voters in Bataan. They urge local and national candidates and to prioritize programs for protecting the environment. Contributed photo | Contributed photo
OLONGAPO CITYYouth, as well as environmental groups, urged candidates to include the green agenda in their May 9 election platforms.
Jochelle Magracia of the Young Bataenos for Environmental Advocacy Network (YBEAN), expressed in a statement Monday, March 28, her group’s support for pro-environment candidates.
“With more than 60 million young voters, we wish to swing the vote towards a green and sustainable future without incineration, without plastic pollution, and without the climate crisis, Magracia said.
YBEAN organized a voter education conference with other groups, including the lterpol-Youth, Nuclear, and Coal-Free Bataan Movement and EcoWaste Coalition.
100 young voters attended the event, which was held in Balanga City of Bataan.
“We clamor for system change, especially a green development paradigm. Economic growth can no longer be at the expense of the environment, but that the economy must be directed towards sustained progress that prioritizes planetary and people’s health,” Magracia said.
YBEAN cited a report from the Commission on Elections that showed more than half of the 65.7 million voters are between 18 and 41 years old, making the youth vote “critical” for candidates.
For environment activist Derek Cabe of the Nuclear and Coal-Free Bataan Movement, the “Double Trouble,” or the return of dirty energy and the lack of a national ban on single-use plastic, were “bad for the environment and bad for the health of the people.”
“Let’s not get distracted by the electoral fanfare. Instead, we should look at the candidates’ records, positions, and platforms on human rights, democracy, the environment – their green agenda, and how they address the persistent problems with plastic, dirty energy, and the like,” Cabe said.
According to the EcoWaste Coalition, the lack of a national policy or plan to complement the nearly 500 local ordinances on single-use plastics (SUP) is “a major flaw.”
“While the House passed the SUP ban last August, the Senate has yet to follow suit. They are quick fixes and false solutions that only address plastic pollution downstream,” the group said.
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