Usapin sa banta ng oil spill sa Verde Island Passage, tinalakay

By: Dave Escala on March 22, 2023 / comment : 0 Island Innovation

Sa nakaraang public forum, “Stop the Oil Spill and Hold the Culprits of this Disaster Accountable” nahimay ang iba-ibang banta sa Verde Island Passage at mga hakbangin mula dito kahapon Marso 20. Sa pakikipag-ugnayan ng Greenpeace, Oceana, Center for Energy, Ecology and Development at iba pang stakeholder sa Isla Verde Passage kasama ang Batangas, Palawan, Mindoro, Romblon at Mindoro.

Nagbahagi ng situationer ang isang konsehal mula sa Pola, Oriental Mindoro at kung ano ang mga kasunod na gagawin ng kanilang lokal na pamahalaan. Nagbigay naman ng teknikal na paglalahad si Dr. Hernando Bacosa ng Mindanao State University Bataraza Campus tungkol sa mga siyentipikong pag-aaral at posibleng impact ng oil spill. Bilang bahagi ng consortium na gumawa ng pag-aaral partikular sa Deepwater horizon noong taong 2010 sa Gulf of Mexico. Nag-ambag din sina Dr. Katherin Sanchez-Escalona ng Mindoro State University at Dr. Javee Saco ng Batangas State University sa talakayan tungkol marine ecosystem.

Ang health advocate at consultant namang si Dr. Tony Leachon na tubong-Mindoro ay nagbigay ng ilang epekto sa kalusugan ng oil spill habang nagbigay naman ng mga legal na remedyo ang kinatawan ng CEED si Atty. Avril de Torres. Ayon naman sa Greenpeace at Oceana, sa halimbawa ng nangyari sa Guimaras noong 2006 ay nagkaroon ng RA 9483 o Oil Spill reparation act of 2007.

Nakadalo din ang mga Island Innovation Ambassador mula sa Mimaropa at kasali sa Verde Island Passage na sentro ng marine biodiversity sa daigdig. Nagbigay ng ilang inisyatiba si Dr. Marius Panahon tungkol sa pananaliksik. Naglatag naman ng mga hakbang si Dr. Randy Nobleza na ginagawa ng munisipal at panlalawigang pamahalaan ng Marinduque. Kamakailan ay bumisita si Buenavista Punong Bayan Bong Siena sa bayan ng Pola at nagbigay naman ng privilege speech si Bokal Tres Mangcucang sa Sangguniang Panlalawigan tungkol sa paghahanda ng Marinduque sa oil spill. Ang Marinduque ay nakaranas ng tailing spill noong March 24, 1996 at nagkaroon ng 50 taong moratorium sa pagmimina. Naghahangad ang lalawigang madeklara ng “mining free zone” ang isla ng Marinduque. | via Randy Nobleza/MN

Island Innovation Ambassadors take part of Sustainable Development in Islands Training Session

By: Marinduque Ngayon on March 16, 2023 / comment : 0 Island Innovation

Past and present ambassadors provided some insights about environmental and sustainability challenges last March 9, 5pm in New York, 10pm London 9am Sydney or March 10, 6AM Philippine Standard time.

Stacey Alvarez de la Campa of Barbados facilitated the exchange between current and seasoned Island Innovation Ambassadors about Sustainable issues in the islands last week. Among the previous cohort of ambassadors, Zaidy Afrin from Fiji shared her ongoing advocacies about Sustainability Development Goals and circular economy. Chirag from India also echoed the concerns from a slight different perspective.

De La Campa started off with the concept of Sustainable Development which “calls for concerted efforts towards building an inclusive, sustainable and resilient future for people and planet.” Moreover, for sustainable development to be achieved, according to the Island Innovation Ambassador Coordinator, “it is crucial to harmonize three core elements: economic growth, social inclusion, and environmental protection.”

Based on Zaidy’s slides, there is a need to shift paradigms like tides of the islands: from reduction to emergence, from line to non-linear, separate to connected and from static to dynamic. She also asked newbie ambassadors about how local actions help achieve Sustainable Development goals through some templates.

One of the highlights of the training session is the “Systems Innovation Toolkit for Circular Economy.” This toolkit utilizes guides and canvasses. The guides explain the key concepts in an accessible fashion while canvasses support user in applying these ideas. What is paramount importance to islands is from simple innovative ideas can have the most impactful applications.

The ambassadors recently attended an info-session about Islands of Innovation online course from the European Union. The said course entails comparison of status quo and desired futures. Likewise it is intended to create a new or revised policy program and build innovation teams for areas, municipalities and even regions. | via Randy Nobleza/MN