Php 70.00 Vol. 44 No. 1 • JANUARY 2010 - IMPACT Magazine Online!

Vol. 44 No. 1 • JANUARY 2010
Php 70. 00

“
Quote in the Act
“Future generations cannot be saddled with
the cost of our use of common environmental
resource.”
Benedict XVI, in his message for the celebration of the 43rd World Day of
Peace celebrated January 1, 2010, titled “If you want to cultivate peace, protect
creation.”
“Minorities are under siege and feel they don't have
a place in Malaysia anymore.”
““We will provide defensive arms for Taiwan.”
James Chin, political science lecturer at Monash University in Malaysia; after
eight churches have been attacked in three days amid dispute over the use of
the word “Allah” by non-Muslims, sparkling fresh political instability and denting
Malaysia’s image as a moderate and stable Muslim-majority nation.
“There is nothing in the world that can never be
changed. We should make continuous efforts to
reshape the policy choices of the US.”
Rear-Admiral Yang Yi, an expert at the Institute of Strategic Studies of the
National Defense University in Beijing; on the issue to urge the United States to
cancel a massive arms deal with Taiwan, warning of a severe consequences if it
does not heed the call.
Hillary Rodham Clinton, US Secretary of State; on the volatile issue of the US
initiative to sell weapons to Taiwan, which China regards as a renegade province.
““Election is an opportunity we cannot afford to
miss.”
Nereo Odchimar, President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the
Philippines; in his New Year’s Message that urged voters in 2010 polls to choose
reliable leaders that will lead the country.
“Families will continue to suffer from the
government’s incompetence.”
Caroline Spelman, quoted by the online version of The Independent; on the
shortage of salt or “grit” for slippery roads which has turned into a political
issue, forcing European governments to face criticism that they are not
prepared for the winter that had temperatures across Europe dropped the lowest
since 1990.
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2
IMPACT • Januray 2010

EDITORIAL
A gov’t of 4 trillion debts ................................. 27
COVER STORY
CONTENTS
Human Ecology and Peace .............................. 16
ARTICLES
If you want to cultivate peace, protect
creation .............................................................. 4
IMPACT January 2010 / Vol 44 • No 1
If You Want Peace, Protect Creation ................ 7
The Copenhagen Discord, or divide and rule
in climate change ........................................... 10
DEPARTMENTS
Quote in the Act ................................................. 2
Advertorial ....................................................... 12
News Features ................................................... 21
Statements .......................................................... 23
From the Blogs ................................................... 26
From the Inbox .................................................. 28
Book Reviews ..................................................... 29
Entertainment .................................................... 30
Asia Briefing ...................................................... 31
As if by force of habit, or
is it by strategic political
spin?, government forecasters
the likes of National
Economic and Development
Authority (NEDA) and the whole
caboodle of Palace technocrats
always races with the soothsayers
of Quiapo and the Feng
Shui connoisseurs of Binondo
in cracking the crystal ball for
what’s in store for the country
in every new year.
Immediately after the smog of
firecrackers cleared the Manila
sky, NEDA projected that the
Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
will grow by 2.6 to 3.6 percent in
2010 and expressed a wholesale
confidence that the country’s
economy will be stronger due to
the economic reforms undertaken
by the current Administration.
To substantiate their prediction,
the bright boys of Malacañang
then gave a litany of the following
growth drivers that will
propel the economy to heights:
trade, tourism, business process
outsourcing, construction, mining
and quarrying, government
services, air transportation,
manufacturing, communication
and agriculture. This, of
course, is a template that
always appears every time
the government winks.
The public takes this
forecast nonchalantly just
like it does with every State
of the Nation Address of the big boss.
People know that it is hard to cheat
the stomach which is a better barometer
than government forecasts
or social surveys that according to a
presidential candidate can be bought
in Quiapo.
The analysts of the University of
the Philippines (UP) see the country’s
economic lot differently. Dr.
Rene Ofreneo, for instance, said that
the country “will continue to reel
from the effects of the crisis until
2010 due to low investments in the
Philippines, as well as natural and
political disasters like Maguindanao
massacre and martial law.”
Commenting about the increase in
the number of underemployed and
unemployed, another UP professor,
Dr. Benjamin Diokno, said that due to
structural problems in the economy
and weak external demand for labor,
job prospects in the country may
continue to be weak until 2014. And
employment, according to a former
National Treasurer, Leonor
Briones, is the most reliable indicator
of whether the economy is
in good shape or otherwise.
This issue opens with the
message of Pope Benedict XVI
for the World Day of Peace: If
you want to cultivate peace,
protect creation. The pontiff
observes that the current pace
of environmental exploitation is
seriously endangering the supply
of certain resources not only
for the present generation, but for
generations yet to come.
Our staff writer, Charles Avila
writes the cover story with his
“Human Ecology and Peace.”
Albeit inflated, there is a grain of
truth when he opines that if our
demands on the planet continue
at the same rate, in less than two
decades we will need the equivalent
of two planets to maintain
our lifestyles. Read on.
Volume 44 • Number 1 3

ARTICLES
If you want to
cultivate peace,
protect creation
Message of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI
For the celebration of the
World Day of Peace, 1 January 2010
© Rodne Galicha
4
IMPACT • January 2010

If you want to cultivate peace, protect creation
1. At the beginning of this New Year, I wish to offer heartfelt
greetings of peace to all Christian communities, international
leaders, and people of good will throughout the world. For
this XLIII World Day of Peace I have chosen the theme: If
You Want to Cultivate Peace, Protect Creation. Respect
for creation is of immense consequence, not least because
“creation is the beginning and the foundation of all God’s
works”,[1] and its preservation has now become essential
for the pacific coexistence of mankind. Man’s inhumanity
to man has given rise to numerous threats to peace and to
authentic and integral human development – wars, international
and regional conflicts, acts of terrorism, and violations
of human rights. Yet no less troubling are the threats
arising from the neglect – if not downright misuse – of the
earth and the natural goods that God has given us. For this
reason, it is imperative that mankind renew and strengthen
“that covenant between human beings and the environment,
which should mirror the creative love of God, from whom
we come and towards whom we are journeying”.[2]
2. In my Encyclical Caritas in Veritate, I noted that
integral human development is closely linked to the obligations
which flow from man’s relationship with the natural
environment. The environment must be seen as God’s gift
to all people, and the use we make of it entails a shared
responsibility for all humanity, especially the poor and future
generations. I also observed that whenever nature, and
human beings in particular, are seen merely as products of
chance or an evolutionary determinism, our overall sense of
responsibility wanes.[3] On the other hand, seeing creation as
God’s gift to humanity helps us understand our vocation and
worth as human beings. With the Psalmist, we can exclaim
with wonder: “When I look at your heavens, the work of your
hands, the moon and the stars which you have established;
what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man
that you care for him?” (Ps 8:4-5). Contemplating the beauty
of creation inspires us to recognize the love of the Creator,
that Love which “moves the sun and the other stars”.[4]
3. Twenty years ago, Pope John Paul II devoted his Message
for the World Day of Peace to the theme: Peace with
God the Creator, Peace with All of Creation. He emphasized
our relationship, as God’s creatures, with the universe all
around us. “In our day”, he wrote, “there is a growing
awareness that world peace is threatened … also by a lack
of due respect for nature”. He added that “ecological awareness,
rather than being downplayed, needs to be helped to
develop and mature, and find fitting expression in concrete
programmes and initiatives”.[5] Previous Popes had spoken
of the relationship between human beings and the environment.
In 1971, for example, on the eightieth anniversary
of Leo XIII’s Encyclical Rerum Novarum, Paul VI pointed
out that “by an ill-considered exploitation of nature (man)
risks destroying it and becoming in his turn the victim of
this degradation”. He added that “not only is the material
environment becoming a permanent menace—pollution and
refuse, new illnesses and absolute destructive capacity—but
the human framework is no longer under man’s control, thus
creating an environment for tomorrow which may well be
intolerable. This is a wide-ranging social problem which
concerns the entire human family”.[6]
4. Without entering into the merit of specific technical
solutions, the Church is nonetheless concerned, as an
“expert in humanity”, to call attention to the relationship
between the Creator, human beings and the created order.
In 1990 John Paul II had spoken of an “ecological crisis”
and, in highlighting its primarily ethical character, pointed
to the “urgent moral need for a new solidarity”.[7] His appeal
is all the more pressing today, in the face of signs of a
growing crisis which it would be irresponsible not to take
seriously. Can we remain indifferent before the problems
associated with such realities as climate change, desertification,
the deterioration and loss of productivity in vast
agricultural areas, the pollution of rivers and aquifers, the
loss of biodiversity, the increase of natural catastrophes and
the deforestation of equatorial and tropical regions? Can
we disregard the growing phenomenon of “environmental
refugees”, people who are forced by the degradation of their
natural habitat to forsake it—and often their possessions
as well—in order to face the dangers and uncertainties of
forced displacement? Can we remain impassive in the face
of actual and potential conflicts involving access to natural
resources? All these are issues with a profound impact on
the exercise of human rights, such as the right to life, food,
health and development.
5. It should be evident that the ecological crisis cannot
be viewed in isolation from other related questions, since
it is closely linked to the notion of development itself and
our understanding of man in his relationship to others and to
the rest of creation. Prudence would thus dictate a profound,
long-term review of our model of development, one which
would take into consideration the meaning of the economy
and its goals with an eye to correcting its malfunctions and
misapplications. The ecological health of the planet calls for
this, but it is also demanded by the cultural and moral crisis of
humanity whose symptoms have for some time been evident
in every part of the world.[8] Humanity needs a profound
cultural renewal; it needs to rediscover those values which
can serve as the solid basis for building a brighter future
for all. Our present crises – be they economic, food-related,
environmental or social – are ultimately also moral crises,
and all of them are interrelated. They require us to rethink
the path which we are travelling together. Specifically, they
call for a lifestyle marked by sobriety and solidarity, with
new rules and forms of engagement, one which focuses
confidently and courageously on strategies that actually
work, while decisively rejecting those that have failed. Only
in this way can the current crisis become an opportunity for
discernment and new strategic planning.
6. Is it not true that what we call “nature” in a cosmic
sense has its origin in “a plan of love and truth”? The world
“is not the product of any necessity whatsoever, nor of blind
fate or chance… The world proceeds from the free will of
God; he wanted to make his creatures share in his being,
in his intelligence, and in his goodness”.[9] The Book of
Genesis, in its very first pages, points to the wise design of
the cosmos: it comes forth from God’s mind and finds its
culmination in man and woman, made in the image and likeness
of the Creator to “fill the earth” and to “have dominion
over” it as “stewards” of God himself (cf. Gen 1:28). The
harmony between the Creator, mankind and the created world,
as described by Sacred Scripture, was disrupted by the sin
of Adam and Eve, by man and woman, who wanted to take
the place of God and refused to acknowledge that they were
his creatures. As a result, the work of “exercising dominion”
over the earth, “tilling it and keeping it”, was also disrupted,
Volume 44 • Number 1 5

ARTICLES
and conflict arose within and between mankind and the rest
of creation (cf. Gen 3:17-19). Human beings let themselves
be mastered by selfishness; they misunderstood the meaning
of God’s command and exploited creation out of a desire to
exercise absolute domination over it. But the true meaning
of God’s original command, as the Book of Genesis clearly
shows, was not a simple conferral of authority, but rather a
summons to responsibility. The wisdom of the ancients had
recognized that nature is not at our disposal as “a heap of
scattered refuse”.[10] Biblical Revelation made us see that
nature is a gift of the Creator, who gave it an inbuilt order
and enabled man to draw from it the principles needed to
“till it and keep it” (cf. Gen. 2:15).[11] Everything that exists
belongs to God, who has entrusted it to man, albeit not
for his arbitrary use. Once man, instead of acting as God’s
co-worker, sets himself up in place of God, he ends up
provoking a rebellion on the part of nature, “which is more
tyrannized than governed by him”.[12] Man thus has a duty
to exercise responsible stewardship over creation, to care
for it and to cultivate it.[13]
7. Sad to say, it is all too evident that large numbers of
people in different countries and areas of our planet are experiencing
increased hardship because of the negligence or refusal
of many others to exercise responsible stewardship over
the environment. The Second Vatican Ecumenical Council
reminded us that “God has destined the earth and everything
it contains for all peoples and nations”.[14] The goods of
creation belong to humanity as a whole. Yet the current pace
of environmental exploitation is seriously endangering the
supply of certain natural resources not only for the present
generation, but above all for generations yet to come.[15] It
is not hard to see that environmental degradation is often due
to the lack of far-sighted official policies or to the pursuit of
myopic economic interests, which then, tragically, become
a serious threat to creation. To combat this phenomenon,
economic activity needs to consider the fact that “every
economic decision has a moral consequence” [16] and thus
show increased respect for the environment. When making
use of natural resources, we should be concerned for their
protection and consider the cost entailed—environmentally
and socially—as an essential part of the overall expenses
incurred. The international community and national governments
are responsible for sending the right signals in order
to combat effectively the misuse of the environment. To
protect the environment, and to safeguard natural resources
and the climate, there is a need to act in accordance with
clearly-defined rules, also from the juridical and economic
standpoint, while at the same time taking into due account
the solidarity we owe to those living in the poorer areas of
our world and to future generations.
8. A greater sense of intergenerational solidarity is urgently
needed. Future generations cannot be saddled with
the cost of our use of common environmental resources. “We
have inherited from past generations, and we have benefited
from the work of our contemporaries; for this reason we
have obligations towards all, and we cannot refuse to interest
ourselves in those who will come after us, to enlarge the
human family. Universal solidarity represents a benefit as
well as a duty. This is a responsibility that present generations
have towards those of the future, a responsibility that
also concerns individual States and the international community”.[17]
Natural resources should be used in such a
© CASAFI- Archdiocese of Caceres
6
IMPACT • January 2010

If you want to cultivate peace, protect creation
way that immediate benefits do not have a negative impact
on living creatures, human and not, present and future; that
the protection of private property does not conflict with the
universal destination of goods;[18] that human activity does
not compromise the fruitfulness of the earth, for the benefit
of people now and in the future. In addition to a fairer sense
of intergenerational solidarity there is also an urgent moral
need for a renewed sense of intragenerational solidarity,
especially in relationships between developing countries and
highly industrialized countries: “the international community
has an urgent duty to find institutional means of regulating
the exploitation of non-renewable resources, involving poor
countries in the process, in order to plan together for the
future”.[19] The ecological crisis shows the urgency of a
solidarity which embraces time and space. It is important to
acknowledge that among the causes of the present ecological
crisis is the historical responsibility of the industrialized
countries. Yet the less developed countries, and emerging
countries in particular, are not exempt from their own responsibilities
with regard to creation, for the duty of gradually
adopting effective environmental measures and policies is
For the celebration of the World Day
of Peace at the beginning of the
Year 2010, the message of Pope
Benedict XVI focuses on the theme: “If
You Want to Cultivate Peace, Protect
Creation.” The Holy Father makes a
plea for “ecological awareness” and
calls attention to “the relationship between
the Creator, human beings and
the created order.”
“The environment must be seen
as God’s gift to all people,” the Pope
stresses, “and the use of it entails a
shared responsibility for all humanity,
especially the poor and future generations.”
These words of the Holy Father
ring out in sharp contrast to recent events
that took place in a remote forested area
of Northern Mindanao.
On Christmas Eve 2009, a Higaonon
tribal leader, Alberto Pinagawa,
54, was waylaid and killed in Barangay
Minalwang on the Gingoog-Claveria
upland area of Misamis Oriental. Berting
was walking along a remote road with
his son on his way home early morning
to Barangay Kalipay in Anakan Parish.
He was a lay minister and was preparing
for the community’s Christmas worship
services later that day when he was
brutally shot at least twenty times in
the face and other parts of the body by
M-16 rifles.
Berting was a vocal leader of his
tribal community. Since July, he had been
gathering petition signatures from local
residents on the upland areas to stop the
logging operations of Southwood Timber
Corporation which had been granted an
Industrial Forest Management Agreement
(IFMA) by the Department of Environment
and Natural Resources (DENR). The IFMA
permit would cover 11,476 hectares and
would allow the company to develop and
utilize forestlands for 25 years. But instead
of cutting only second-growth forest
trees and re-planting in the former logging
concession of Anakan Timber Corp., local
residents reported that the company was
involved in the logging of old-growth trees,
like the lauan.
Indeed the designated IFMA area
encroaches on the wider watershed area
along the Bukidnon-Agusan-Misamis
Oriental borders which protect the head
waters of the Pulangi River to the south and
other major tributaries like the Odiongan
River to the northern coastal areas. During
the January and November flashfloods,
Gingoog residents were well aware of the
destructive consequences of deforestation
in their upland area. Nearly 8,000
residents were displaced by the January
2009 floods alone. It is in this light that
a spokesperson representing at least
20,000 signatures presented to Gingoog
City Mayor Ruthie Guingona claimed that
the IFMA would be “detrimental not only
to the environment but also to our lives,
livelihood, homes, families and entire
communities.”
At the Gingoog city council special
session on Dec. 28, held simultaneously
with an outdoor indignation rally attended
incumbent upon all. This would be accomplished more easily
if self-interest played a lesser role in the granting of aid and
the sharing of knowledge and cleaner technologies.
9. To be sure, among the basic problems which the international
community has to address is that of energy resources
and the development of joint and sustainable strategies to
satisfy the energy needs of the present and future generations.
This means that technologically advanced societies must be
prepared to encourage more sober lifestyles, while reducing
their energy consumption and improving its efficiency. At
the same time there is a need to encourage research into,
and utilization of, forms of energy with lower impact on
the environment and “a world-wide redistribution of energy
resources, so that countries lacking those resources can have
access to them”.[20] The ecological crisis offers an historic
opportunity to develop a common plan of action aimed at
orienting the model of global development towards greater
respect for creation and for an integral human development
inspired by the values proper to charity in truth. I would
advocate the adoption of a model of development based on
the centrality of the human person, on the promotion and
If You Want Peace, Protect Creation
By Archbishop Antonio Ledesma, SJ
by the grieving relatives of Berting, the
city councilors themselves were told
that the local communities and LGU of
Claveria were not asked for their “free,
prior, and informed consent” – despite
the fact that the greater part of the
logging operations, 8,000 of the 11,
500 has., was within the municipality
of Claveria.
By the end of the extended session,
eight of 10 city councilors voted for a
resolution asking DENR for the immediate
cancellation of the IFMA. Concerned
environmentalists have pointed out
that the IFMA area constitutes part of
the remaining 12% forested area in the
Philippines. Instead of deforestation,
they stress, the government should
engage in extending the forest cover
of the country.
Berting Pinagawa before his death
would tell his fellow advocates for environment
that he was gathering the
anti-logging signatures not so much for
his upland community, but for the sake
of the lowland communities, especially
in Gingoog, that would be affected – at
present and in the future – by the continued
logging operations.
This is echoed by Pope Benedict’s
plea for promoting peace through intergenerational
solidarity: “Future generations
cannot be saddled with the cost
of our use of common environmental
resources.” “As we care for creation,” the
Holy Father notes, “we realize that God,
through creation, cares for us.” I
Volume 44 • Number 1 7

ARTICLES
© Rodne Galicha
sharing of the common good, on responsibility, on a realization
of our need for a changed life-style, and on prudence,
the virtue which tells us what needs to be done today in view
of what might happen tomorrow.[21]
10. A sustainable comprehensive management of the
environment and the resources of the planet demands that
human intelligence be directed to technological and scientific
research and its practical applications. The “new solidarity”
for which John Paul II called in his Message for the 1990
World Day of Peace [22] and the “global solidarity” for which
I myself appealed in my Message for the 2009 World Day
of Peace [23] are essential attitudes in shaping our efforts to
protect creation through a better internationally-coordinated
management of the earth’s resources, particularly today,
when there is an increasingly clear link between combating
environmental degradation and promoting an integral
human development. These two realities are inseparable,
since “the integral development of individuals necessarily
entails a joint effort for the development of humanity as
a whole”.[24] At present there are a number of scientific
developments and innovative approaches which promise to
provide satisfactory and balanced solutions to the problem
of our relationship to the environment. Encouragement needs
to be given, for example, to research into effective ways of
exploiting the immense potential of solar energy. Similar
attention also needs to be paid to the world-wide problem of
water and to the global water cycle system, which is of prime
importance for life on earth and whose stability could be
seriously jeopardized by climate change. Suitable strategies
for rural development centered on small farmers and their
families should be explored, as well as the implementation
of appropriate policies for the management of forests, for
waste disposal and for strengthening the linkage between
combating climate change and overcoming poverty. Ambitious
national policies are required, together with a necessary
international commitment
which will offer important benefits
especially in the medium
and long term. There is a need, in
effect, to move beyond a purely
consumerist mentality in order
to promote forms of agricultural
and industrial production
capable of respecting creation
and satisfying the primary needs
of all. The ecological problem
must be dealt with not only because
of the chilling prospects
of environmental degradation
on the horizon; the real motivation
must be the quest for
authentic world-wide solidarity
inspired by the values of charity,
justice and the common good.
For that matter, as I have stated
elsewhere, “technology is never
merely technology. It reveals
man and his aspirations towards
development; it expresses the
inner tension that impels him
gradually to overcome material
limitations. Technology in this
sense is a response to God’s command to till and keep the
land (cf. Gen 2:15) that he has entrusted to humanity, and it
must serve to reinforce the covenant between human beings
and the environment, a covenant that should mirror God’s
creative love”.[25]
11. It is becoming more and more evident that the issue
of environmental degradation challenges us to examine our
life-style and the prevailing models of consumption and
production, which are often unsustainable from a social,
environmental and even economic point of view. We can no
longer do without a real change of outlook which will result
in new life-styles, “in which the quest for truth, beauty, goodness
and communion with others for the sake of common
growth are the factors which determine consumer choices,
savings and investments”.[26] Education for peace must
increasingly begin with far-reaching decisions on the part
of individuals, families, communities and states. We are all
responsible for the protection and care of the environment.
This responsibility knows no boundaries. In accordance with
the principle of subsidiarity it is important for everyone to
be committed at his or her proper level, working to overcome
the prevalence of particular interests. A special role in
raising awareness and information belongs to the different
groups present in civil society and to the non-governmental
organizations which work with determination and generosity
for the spread of ecological responsibility, responsibility
which should be ever more deeply anchored in respect for
“human ecology”. The media also have a responsibility in
this regard to offer positive and inspiring models. In a word,
concern for the environment calls for a broad global vision
of the world; a responsible common effort to move beyond
approaches based on selfish nationalistic interests towards a
vision constantly open to the needs of all peoples. We cannot
remain indifferent to what is happening around us, for
the deterioration of any one part of the planet affects us all.
8
IMPACT • January 2010

If you want to cultivate peace, protect creation
Relationships between individuals, social groups and states,
like those between human beings and the environment, must
be marked by respect and “charity in truth”. In this broader
context one can only encourage the efforts of the international
community to ensure progressive disarmament and a world
free of nuclear weapons, whose presence alone threatens the
life of the planet and the ongoing integral development of
the present generation and of generations yet to come.
12. The Church has a responsibility towards creation,
and she considers it her duty to exercise that responsibility
in public life, in order to protect earth, water and air
as gifts of God the Creator meant for everyone, and above
all to save mankind from the danger of self-destruction.
The degradation of nature is closely linked to the cultural
models shaping human coexistence: consequently, “when
‘human ecology’ is respected within society, environmental
ecology also benefits”.[27] Young people cannot be asked
to respect the environment if they are not helped, within
families and society as a whole, to respect themselves. The
book of nature is one and indivisible; it includes not only
the environment but also individual, family and social ethics.[28]
Our duties towards the environment flow from our
duties towards the person, considered both individually and
in relation to others.
Hence I readily encourage efforts to promote a greater
sense of ecological responsibility which, as I indicated in my
Encyclical Caritas in Veritate, would safeguard an authentic
“human ecology” and thus forcefully reaffirm the inviolability
of human life at every stage and in every condition, the
dignity of the person and the unique mission of the family,
where one is trained in love of neighbor and respect for nature.[29]
There is a need to safeguard the human patrimony
of society. This patrimony of values originates in and is part
of the natural moral law, which is the foundation of respect
for the human person and creation.
13. Nor must we forget the very significant fact that
many people experience peace and tranquility, renewal and
reinvigoration, when they come into close contact with the
beauty and harmony of nature.
There exists a certain reciprocity:
as we care for creation, we
realize that God, through creation,
cares for us. On the other
hand, a correct understanding
of the relationship between
man and the environment will
not end by absolutizing nature
or by considering it more important
than the human person.
If the Church’s magisterium
expresses grave misgivings
about notions of the environment
inspired by ecocentrism
and biocentrism, it is because
such notions eliminate the difference
of identity and worth
between the human person and
other living things. In the name
of a supposedly egalitarian vision
of the “dignity” of all living
creatures, such notions end up
abolishing the distinctiveness
and superior role of human beings. They also open the
way to a new pantheism tinged with neo-paganism, which
would see the source of man’s salvation in nature alone,
understood in purely naturalistic terms. The Church, for
her part, is concerned that the question be approached in
a balanced way, with respect for the “grammar” which the
Creator has inscribed in his handiwork by giving man the
role of a steward and administrator with responsibility over
creation, a role which man must certainly not abuse, but
also one which he may not abdicate. In the same way, the
opposite position, which would absolutize technology and
human power, results in a grave assault not only on nature,
but also on human dignity itself.[30]
14. If you want to cultivate peace, protect creation. The
quest for peace by people of good will surely would become
easier if all acknowledge the indivisible relationship between
God, human beings and the whole of creation. In the light of
divine Revelation and in fidelity to the Church’s Tradition,
Christians have their own contribution to make. They contemplate
the cosmos and its marvels in light of the creative
work of the Father and the redemptive work of Christ, who
by his death and resurrection has reconciled with God “all
things, whether on earth or in heaven” (Col 1:20). Christ,
crucified and risen, has bestowed his Spirit of holiness upon
mankind, to guide the course of history in anticipation of
that day when, with the glorious return of the Saviour, there
will be “new heavens and a new earth” (2 Pet 3:13), in which
justice and peace will dwell forever. Protecting the natural
environment in order to build a world of peace is thus a duty
incumbent upon each and all. It is an urgent challenge, one
to be faced with renewed and concerted commitment; it is
also a providential opportunity to hand down to coming
generations the prospect of a better future for all. May this
be clear to world leaders and to those at every level who
are concerned for the future of humanity: the protection of
creation and peacemaking are profoundly linked! For this
reason, I invite all believers to raise a fervent prayer to God,
Creation, page 22
© CBCP-NASSA
Volume 44 • Number 1 9

ARTICLES
The Copenhagen Discord, or
divide and rule in climate change
By Bernarditas C. Muller
The conspiracy began in Bali,
where, after a two-year longterm
dialogue for cooperative
action which was agreed not to result in
negotiations, the Bali Action Plan was
hatched by a selected group of countries.
The only new thing in climate negotiations
under the Bali Action Plan was the
provision on “nationally-appropriate
mitigation actions”
for developing
countries,
subsequently to
be known as NA-
MAs. The rest
simply watered
down commitments
of developed
countries
under the Convention.
Drama
marked the last
day of the Bali
session, when
the lines were
drawn. The fin
a l p l e n a r y
meeting clarified
the developing
countries’
understanding
of NAMAs, and
the United States
was shamed into
joining the consensus.
The waiting game was played over
two years, when endless debates were
held clarifying positions, wrestling
with procedures that could prejudge
the outcome, even trying to understand
what this outcome would be, finally
giving birth to a “negotiating text”.
But contrary to normal growth, the text
first grew and then was pared down to
a “manageable” size. In Barcelona, in
November, the text appeared to take
shape. This spurred developed countries
to intensify their efforts, began
even before Bali, to influence and
pressure developing countries which
in turn began to show increasing signs
of cohesiveness.
In the meanwhile, everybody waited
to see which way the US would go. The
whole process was put on slow motion
until the new US administration took over
early in 2009, and then hope was revived
that the US would now engage in the
process. They did, but only to make more
interventions in the negotiations, dampening
hopes for
a US target of
emissions reductions,
promising
recycled
financing, most
of it to be spent
domestically,
and above all,
warning that
everything depended
on US
congressional
approval. This
ensured that
nothing would
happen until
mid- to late
2010.
The developed
countries
were busy
spending time
and money to
divide and influence
developing
countries. Bribing where they
can, promising the same recycled financing
and maybe more to come if
countries are amenable, bullying where
they cannot bribe. They financed workshops
in selected vulnerable countries,
deploying climate envoys, in particular
one on Climate Security for Vulnerable
Countries, who in so many words, told
“intransigent” negotiators that they
are putting up a group of vulnerable
countries in order to pressure the major
developing countries into taking on
emissions reductions commitments.
Small “circles of commitment”
were formed: the G8 summits came out
with double declarations that contained
Photo courtesy of IISD/Earth Negotiations Bulletin
conflicting declarations from the developed
countries and a group of “major
developing economies”; G20 documents
were denounced by G20 members
themselves; and meetings with selected
developing countries, including bilateral
ones, were intensively pursued.
Their efforts partly paid off, as a
couple of these “vulnerable” countries
stoutly defended the Copenhagen Accord
which came out of the woodwork
in Copenhagen. One even claimed to
represent the African Group, whereas
it was clear that the African Group, led
by another African country, was among
the most cohesive within the group of
132 developing countries called the
Group of 77.
Not all were fooled, however, and
Tuvalu, a strong defender among truly
vulnerable small island developing
countries, likened the Accord’s US$30
billion financing provisions to the biblical
“30 pieces of silver”.
What really occurred in Copenhagen
was the culmination of all the frustrations
of many developing countries
in the total lack of transparency and
inclusiveness in the process.
Rumours of a Danish text were
circulating weeks before Copenhagen.
When confronted with these rumours,
the Danish presidency firmly denied
the existence of a text. The secretariat
also affirmed before a G77 pre-sessional
meeting that only one Danish Chairman
would be elected. Two days before the
final plenary, a second Danish president
was named. At the same time, it was
announced that Danes would come up
with not one, but two texts.
Before that, new procedures were
introduced that delayed negotiations for
at least two days. The G77 was blamed
for these delays, as developed countries
stalled at closed negotiating rooms,
continually bracketing texts, coming out
with new proposals, clarifying former
ones, drawing out developing countries
anxious to come to textual agreements,
restating positions, biding for time until
the Danes get the high-level officials
10
IMPACT • January 2010

The Copenhagen Discord, or divide and rule in climate change
into a climate “green room” of exclusive
negotiations.
And to the world press, the message
continued to be that “the G77 is
blocking negotiations.” At the same
time, the message was reinforced that
separate bilateral deals were being
signed elsewhere.
At the last minute, after a parody
of the Danish presidency of putting up
the negotiating groups once again at
the insistence of the G77, three main
issues were taken out of the negotiators’
hands, the same three issues which resurfaced
later in the Copenhagen Accord
reflecting developed countries’ positions.
These issues were the long-term
“global goal”, the controversial market
mechanisms and trade discussions, and
most of all, financing.
We were to have reconvened again to
continue negotiations, but we never did.
What took place behind closed
doors was the backroom wheeling and
dealing. I took part in the first meetings,
where the big G77 countries were
trying to revise the text presented by
the Chairman. Small gains were made,
but largely the revisions suggested by
developing countries were ignored.
The Accord mainly reflects developed
countries’ positions on most issues.
In particular, financing is to continue
to be channelled through the failed
delivery systems of the past, through
“international institutions”, “public and
private, bilateral and multilateral, including
alternative sources of finance,”
without acknowledging the legal obligations
to provide financial resources
under the governance of Parties.
The final plenary broke out in
confusion when the Danish Prime Minister,
now Chairman, marched in after
making the delegations wait for nearly
five hours without any explanation,
took the microphone to announce that
a deal was done, called the Copenhagen
Accord, as secretariat personnel frantically
distributed the text, and instructed
the rest of the meeting to break out in
“regional groups” and to take one hour
to decide on their future.
He then closed the session precipitately
without following normal
procedures of soliciting views of Parties
and proceeded to march out again
when pandemonium broke out as Parties
demanded to be heard. The only
way to be given the floor was to ask
for points of order, which were not
heeded until nameplates were banged
on the table. During the interventions,
the Chairman looked on, glaring at the
proceedings, turning now and then to
consult the secretariat. No courtesy or
proper attention was accorded to the
speakers which included ministers and
ambassadors heading delegations.
The claim that only three or four
countries spoke against the Accord
and the procedures followed is false,
as proven by subsequent interventions,
punctuated by applause, from other developing
countries or their supporters.
Developed countries and their followers
also applauded their own spokesmen
and followers.
Interventions of developed countries
focused on a threat that the paragraphs
concerning financing would not
be “made operational” unless countries
signed up to the Accord.
Sad to say, pledges of financing
have a way of evaporating over time,
and financing done through existing
institutions are unpredictable, difficult
to access, conditional, and selective.
Any governance system set up outside
of the Convention itself is just another
layer of bureaucracy, and equal representation
of developed and developing
countries outside of the UN system is
unbalanced.
What happens now?
The Parties decided to continue with
the ongoing process of negotiations,
while taking note of the Accord which,
on many of its provisions, undermines
the developing countries’ positions in
these negotiations. Parties took note
of the Accord which would be open to
participation by Parties, if they wish
to avail of the promised financing, the
terms of which are still to be determined
by continued negotiations.
What mainly happened is the complete
breakdown of trust among Parties.
To build it up again, under the shadow
of an Accord that would be pursued at
all costs, is immensely challenging.
There are not only the legal obligations,
but the moral and ethical considerations
for developed countries to assume
responsibilities to developing countries
which did little to contribute to the
problem of climate change, and which
suffer most from its adverse effects.
Economic interests should not prevail
over the lives and survival of the poorest
and most vulnerable populations.
The holidays might provide time
for reflection, and the firm resolve of
the New Year in all these should be to
work together to address climate change
and its adverse effects, for the present
and future generations, and the good
of humankind. I
(Bernarditas Muller, a retired Filipina
diplomat based in Switzerland
and an environmental adviser to the
Department of Foreign Affairs, has
represented the Philippines to international
climate talks since before the 1992
Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro and was
instrumental in negotiating the Kyoto
Protocol in 1997. She is also currently
the lead negotiator and spokesperson
to the climate talks for 130 developing
countries from Asia, Africa, Latin
America, the Middle East and the Pacific
island nations—a huge bloc known as
the G77 and China.)
Photo courtesy of IISD/Earth Negotiations Bulletin
Volume 44 • Number 1 11

ADVERTORIAL
An Interview with
Noynoy Aquino, the
Presidential ‘Draftee’
The death of his mother on August 1, 2009 changed the
destiny not only of Sen. Noynoy Aquino but also of
this country, regardless of whether he wins the 2010
presidential election or not.
Four months hence many are wondering about who
Noynoy Aquino really is, and more importantly, what he
intends to do if and when he is elected President of the
Philippines
Conducted by Augusto Steve Legasto, Jr., this interview
is intended to reveal the latest answers to these queries:
LEGASTO: Senator, with what words would you describe
the initial focus of your campaign?
SEN. NOYNOY: Good governance.
If you are guided by the idea of good
governance, why shouldn’t we be more
efficient? Why shouldn’t we achieve
our dreams faster?
With good governance, we do not
make it impossible for those who want
to do right.
With good governance, we don’t go
into ridiculous infrastructure projects.
We don’t go into wrong policies. We
don’t govern for political survival.
SEN. NOYNOY: Let me share with you the glaring evidence
of wrongdoing by this government that we discovered while
carefully scrutinizing the 2010 national budget:
• The conviction rate of the DOJ’s prosecution service
is at 18%, incredibly dismal compared to Japan, where the
conviction rate is at an astounding 99.8%. This shows that
most cases in the Philippines are not successfully prosecuted
in court. In addition, ordinary criminal cases take an average
of 5 to 6 years to resolve. It is the ability to secure a
conviction that is the real measure of a good prosecutor, not
how long papers can be shuffled.
• The World Bank released a report on the collusion of
some contractors for the National Road Improvement and
Management Project, and recommended to blacklist firms
LEGASTO: Why would you focus on
good governance first when there are
the more urgent problems of hunger,
poverty and criminality?
SEN. NOYNOY: The absence of good
governance through corruption deprives
the poor of the resources necessary
to implement the social services
they badly need. Hunger, poverty and
criminality in the Philippines worsened
under the current administration
because it used corruption as a means
to stay in power. No reform agenda
will succeed without a clear program
to eradicate corruption.
LEGASTO: Can you elaborate further
on your statement about corruption?
12
IMPACT • January 2010

ADVERTORIAL
involved in the collusion and
bid rigging of the road projects.
The DPWH reaction was to
blacklist them only for World
Bank-assisted projects, leaving
them free to bid for non-World
Bank-assisted projects, if they
were found to be qualified.
However, the determination of
DPWH to verify their qualifications
to bid for these projects
was not demonstrated during
the budget hearings.
• The numerous errors in
the textbook series “English
for You and Me” are still extant
in spite of DepEd’s implementation
of the 4-step evaluation
process. The agency's
response to the problem of
classroom shortages has been
to resort to quadruple shifting,
which imposes such an
onerous burden on students as
young as Grade 1 who, while
being taught their English lessons,
are also forced to absorb
Science and even Health lessons
in just one period.
• Despite its regulations
that should phase out nonperforming
schools, given
that there have been nursing
schools registering 0% passing
percentage for more than
three years, the Commission
on Higher Education (CHED)
only managed to close down
one school, further exposing
parents and students to schools that are unable to adequately
prepare them for board examinations.
• The DA’s farm-to-market roads, which were meant to
ease the burden of our farmers in transporting goods, were
constructed in areas with no farms. Some were even built near
beach resorts. There were also projects with budgets that were
depleted by almost P60 million due to administrative costs
charged by the National Agribusiness Corporation (NABCOR)
for transferring funds first to the said corporation instead of
transferring it directly to the regional offices. Furthermore,
despite the COA's recommendation to discontinue the practice
of circuitous and unnecessary transfer of funds sourced from
the regular fund and the PDAF, DA still transferred a total of
almost P2 billion to NABCOR in 2008. In the same year, the
DA transferred P340 million to the ZNAC Rubber Estates
Corporation, whose officers were officials of the DA.
In my explanation of why I voted no to this budget, I
emphasized that these problems exist, but during the budget
hearings, the departments and their attached agencies did
not even try to convince us that they would embark on a
program to correct these findings. In the defense of the various
agencies' budgets, the overwhelming attitude seemed to
be a lack of desire to address the situation, if not an active
effort to allow it to continue. Why then should we approve
the budget submitted by these agencies?
LEGASTO: You’ve made your point, senator. But, what are
you going to do about it?
SEN. NOYNOY: I did try to prevent the General Appropriations
Act for 2010 from getting approved, but unfortunately,
my no vote was outnumbered by the ayes.
Looking forward, I am hopeful that if we are fortunate
to be elected in the coming elections, we will be able to
address what I feel are the four most urgent issues—job
generation, education, health and judicial reforms—despite
the huge financial burdens that we will inherit from the current
dispensation.
LEGASTO: What kind of leader will you be?
SEN. NOYNOY: I have great faith in democracy and believes
in the democratic principles of equal opportunity and
freedom. I also believe in persuasion rather than coercion
and dictation.
I am somebody who was educated by both his parents,
14
IMPACT • January 2010

An Interview with Noynoy Aquino, the Presidential ‘Draftee’
not only through
their teachings but
more so through
their actions.
I am also old
enough not to be
blindly idealistic,
optimistic and romantic
about the
situation. I would
like to think that I
have realistic expectations
and have
a pragmatic way of
looking at what I
am given and what
I can work with.
I am not that
prone to making
compromises, especially
if they challenge
my principles
and beliefs.
LEGASTO: What
about economic development?
What
will your main
thrusts be?
SEN. NOYNOY:
We need to generate
more jobs. We
cannot simply reduce
our people into
merely surviving on
a day-to-day basis.
Otherwise, we keep
them enslaved to
the culture of patronage to which they have been completely
dependent upon all these years. It is also possible to speak
about deepening and giving substance to our democratic gains
in the ‘80s only if we have satisfied the basic requirements
for our people to survive humanely and decently.
To achieve that, we need to create a job environment
that attracts investors and encourages them to stay. In the
current system of governance, the business sector has a midterm
goal. Hence, there seems to be a change within every
administration of policy directions. One of our hindrances
to our growth in the economy is the lack of stable policies
whereby investors believe there is an added risk when investing
in the Philippines.
LEGASTO: Do you already know what you will do with
the government bureaucracy which is widely perceived to
be bloated and largely inefficient with workflow processes
that are outdated?
SEN. NOYNOY: We need a bureaucracy that is based on
meritocracy and not on political accommodation. The government
parameters on the civil service are clear. We just need
to follow them. We also have to be increasingly vigilant to
avoid bloating the bureaucracy with presidential appointees
whom we are not even sure are qualified for the positions to
which they were appointed in the first place.
LEGASTO: Do you have any stand on gender equality?
SEN. NOYNOY: I intend to promote equal gender opportunity
in all spheres of public policies and programs.
LEGASTO: On peace and order particularly in the south?
SEN. NOYNOY: I think the key to addressing it is through
a sincere dialogue with all of the concerned stakeholders.
If there are still possibilities for discussions with opposing
groups, they have to be explored and completely
exhausted. We need to seek out people who have at least a
partially open mind. I understand that complications happen
when you have negotiations on both sides who have suffered
through so much atrocity everyday that there is very little
trust. We will find the right individuals to spearhead the
dialogue, the talks and the trust-building exercises and try
to come up with some agreement.
LEGASTO: On a more controversial issue, what is your
stance on the Reproductive Health Bill?
SEN. NOYNOY: The country is comprised of different faithbased
institutions. The Roman Catholic Church is the largest
of these. I need to give equal recognition & respect to the
tenets of each religion especially those of the next 2 largest,
Islam & Evangelical (“Born Again”) Christianity.
As a Roman Catholic I personally adhere to my church’s
teachings on managing reproduction.
As far as my campaign to inform the public regarding
acceptable RH methods, as a senator &, if so elected, as
president, I am obligated to disclose the various methods
endorsed by each major religious group.
LEGASTO: Finally, what about the environment?
SEN. NOYNOY: Let’s look at climate change. It is a global
issue with serious ramifications that are so evident in our lives
today. Suddenly, the whole schedule is changed. Last year, it
was raining in April. We also experienced the onslaught of
four consecutive typhoons, starting with Ondoy. Since we are
an agricultural country, and we depend on the predictability
of seasonal normality (that is, climate seasons in conjunction
with harvesting cycles), we really feel and suffer from the
impacts of these sudden changes in the weather.
We need to instill a sense of responsibility upon those
who are involved in any undertaking where there might be
some level of environmental degradation. What is used up
should also be replaced, but more stringent regulation is necessary
in cases where the resources are difficult to replace.
(i.e. cutting of stalagmites in a cave in Baguio).
LEGASTO: Thank you very much, Mr. Senator, for enlightening
us on your plans for this nation of ours if and when
you are elected our president.
SEN. NOYNOY: You’re welcome.
(Paid for by friends of Noynoy Aquino)
Volume 44 • Number 1 15

Human Ecology
and Peace
If our demands on the planet continue at the same
rate, in less than two decades we will need the
equivalent of two planets to maintain our lifestyles.
© CBCP Media
16
IMPACT • January 2010

COVER
STORY
By Charles Avila
Rome’s Advice to Copenhagen
“If you want to cultivate peace, protect
creation,” said Pope Benedict XVI
in his Message for World Day of Peace
on Day One of 2010. His predecessors,
of course, had always shown concern
for the environment long before such
concerns became fashionable or laden
with economic interest.
From their standpoint nature is
neither an adversary to be conquered or
destroyed nor an evil from which one
must be freed. Rather, it is the garden
from which God fashioned the human
being, and which God gave as gift to
man and woman to keep and till (cf.
Gen 2: 15); it is the place and plan for
which man and woman, who were made
“in his own image” (Gen 1, 27) are to
feel truly responsible.
In their view the Creator willed the
human being to evolve more and more
into a co-creator, not an exterminator,
though this latter role is what we’ve seen
humans often choose to play.
Vatican II affirmed that human
beings are right in thinking that by
their spirit they transcend the material
universe, for they “share in the light
of the divine mind”( Gaudium et Spes,
15). Who can be blind to the progress
made by the tireless application of human
genius down the centuries in the
empirical sciences, the technological
disciplines and the liberal arts (GS,
15) so that “especially with the help
of science and technology, man has
extended his mastery over nearly the
whole of nature and continues to do
so”(GS 33)?
Not all is good news, however,
as one international conference after
another has shown lately. Today a planetary
crisis affects all existents on earth
due to the fact, precisely, that instead
of increasingly becoming co-creators in
the on-going multi-billion-year story of
creation, humans have become more and
more like “exterminators” in the manner
they chose to produce and reproduce
their means of life and livelihood. They
had chosen mainly an extractive rather
than an organic way of undertaking
economic actions and thus became the
one main cause of the massive extinction
of plant and animal species that
characterizes the current era.
Modern technologies and the industrial
establishment went into the unqualified
human conquest of the forces
of nature. The integral functioning of
Earth’s life systems that had been going
on for 4.6 billion years came under the
assault of humans determined to use
and absolutely own Earth’s resources
regardless of the consequences for
the natural systems of the planet or
the integrity of creation. The words of
counsel came late: “one must take into
account the nature of each being and
of its mutual connection in an ordered
system” (Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, 34),
although much, much earlier the same
thought, long since forgotten, was often
discussed by early Christian philosophers
known as the Church Fathers.
At first humans embraced the organic
economy—which by its nature
is an ever-renewing economy, living
within the bounty of the seasonal renewing
productions of Earth’s biosystems,
making it capable of continuing into
the indefinite future. Later, however,
humans got into an extractive economy,
which by its nature is a terminal or
biologically disruptive economy, dependent
on extracting non-renewing
substances from Earth, surviving only
so long as these very finite resources
endured.
The Church, for her part, cautioned
that the human being must not “make
arbitrary use of the earth, subjecting it
without restraint to his will, as though
it did not have its own requisites and
a prior God-given purpose, which man
can indeed develop but must not betray”
(Centesimus Annus, 37). When
the human being forgets this, he “ends
up provoking a rebellion on the part of
nature, which is more tyrannized than
governed by him” (CA 37). Hence,
today’s advice to Copenhagen from
Rome is simple: “If you want to cultivate
peace, protect creation.”
Thus, “it is now clear that [many
discoveries and technologies] in the
fields of industry and agriculture have
produced harmful long-term effects.”
We should not, for instance, “interfere
in one area of the ecosystem without
paying due attention both to the
consequences of such interference in
other areas and to the well-being of
future generations” (1990 World Day
of Peace, 6).
Humans, of course, may yet intervene
in nature without abusing it or
damaging it; then, they would intervene
“not in order to modify nature but to
foster its development in its own life,
that of the creation that God intended”
(JP II, at the World Medical Association,
1983).
Reducing our ecological footprint
It is by now axiomatic to say that
our livelihoods and indeed our lives depend
on the services provided by Earth’s
natural systems. We are, however, consuming
the resources that underpin those
services much too fast—faster than they
can be replenished, according to the
Living Planet Report 2008, a report of
the World Wildlife Fund, the Zoological
Society of London, and the Global
Footprint Network. If our demands on
the planet continue at the same rate, in
less than two decades we will need the
equivalent of two planets to maintain
our lifestyles. Our reckless consumption
as species is simply depleting the
world’s natural capital to a point where
we are endangering not only our future
prosperity but our very survival. Of
course, as Leonardo Boff the liberation
theologian-turned-ecologist recently
pointed out: “Earth can go on without
us, without human beings.”
Clearly we need to reduce our
ecological “footprint” or our impact on
Earth’s services. A country’s footprint
is the sum of all the cropland, grazing
land, forest and fishing grounds required
to produce the food, fiber and timber it
consumes, to absorb the wastes emitted
when it uses energy, and to provide
space for its infrastructure. It measures
the amount of biologically productive
land and water area required to produce
the resources an individual, population
or activity consumes and to absorb the
waste it generates, given prevailing
technology and resource management.
This area is expressed as global hectares,
hectares with world-average biological
productivity.
Right now, our demand on the planet’s
living resources already exceeds
the planet’s regenerative capacity by
about 30 per cent. This global overshoot
is growing and, as a consequence, deforestation,
water shortages, declining
biodiversity and climate change with
the resultant mega-typhoons and fatal
flooding are putting the well-being and
development of all nations at increasing
risk.
The huge quantities of humancaused
carbon dioxide and other green
house gases that get trapped in the atmosphere
are excessive that as a result
the temperature of Earth’s atmosphere—
and oceans—get dangerously higher and
Volume 44 • Number 1 17

COVER
STORY
© www.eyefetch.com
warmer. Warmer water in the top layer
of the ocean drives more convection
energy to fuel more powerful typhoons
and hurricanes in increased frequency,
as so many people saw in An Inconvenient
Truth. As water temperatures
go up, wind velocity goes up, and so
does storm moisture condensation. It
also causes more of both floods and
droughts. Then, too, the warming sucks
more moisture out of the soil and, as a
consequence, increases desertification,
causes more fires, and experiences less
productive agriculture.
Fossil fuels such as coal, oil and
natural gas are extracted from the
Earth’s crust and are not renewable in
ecological time spans. When these fuels
burn, carbon dioxide (CO2) is emitted.
To keep CO2 levels in the atmosphere
from rising, only two options exist:
human technological sequestration of
these emissions, such as deep-well injection;
or natural sequestration. Natural
sequestration occurs when ecosystems
absorb CO2 and store it in standing biomass
such as trees. Currently, it must be
noted, only negligible amounts of CO2
are sequestered by human means.
To reduce our ecological footprint
we humans must get better at managing
the ecosystems that provide us Earth’s
services on nature’s terms and at nature’s
scale, not in terms of our greed or artificial
need. This means that decisions
in each sector, such as agriculture or
fisheries, architecture or transportation,
must be taken with an eye to broader
ecological consequences and, more
concretely, to carbon cutting—given
that the carbon footprint is the most
critical at this time. We would then
find ways to manage
the ecosystem
as a whole across our
own boundaries—
across property lines
and political borders,
and certainly, at the
very least, across
the various divisions
and sectors in a given
government and nation.
We can’t deny
that biocapacity is
not evenly distributed
around the world.
The eight countries
with the most biocapacity—the
United
States, Brazil, Russia,
China, Canada, India, Argentina
and Australia—contain 50 per cent of
the total world biocapacity. Three of
them—the United States, China and
India—are ecological debtors, with their
national footprints exceeding their own
biocapacity.
At Copenhagen last month those
three blew up the United Nations by
equivalently telling all who cared to
listen that “you poor nations can spout
off all you want on questions like human
rights or the role of women or fighting
polio or handling refugees. But when
you get too close to the center of things
that count—the fossil fuel that’s at the
center of our economy—you can forget
about it. We’re not interested. You’re
a bother, and when you sink beneath
the waves we don’t want to hear much
about it” (cf Alternet). China, the U.S.,
and India don’t want anyone controlling
their use of coal in any meaningful way.
In a way, despite a few glimmers of
hope, Copenhagen effectively formed
a coalition of foxes who will together
govern the henhouse.
Philippine applications
What are we in the Philippines
today—debtors or creditors? What is
our ecological footprint, our carbon
footprint, our biocapacity, our common
programs? Do we see the interrelatedness
of environmental degradation
and underdevelopment? Do we have
concrete plans for our society’s various
sectors to pursue tenaciously for
the common good? We need to take
counsel, gather together and make the
strongest common resolve.
The fight against global warming
has become like a religion and people
want to be seen to be doing the right
thing. Fathering in this area has indeed
become quite prolific. For some, a move
towards clean energy spells opportunity.
They sell power-generation equipment
and aircraft and train engines. New regulations
requiring companies to adopt
cleaner processes mean that capital
equipment is replaced more quickly, to
the benefit of such companies like GE
and Siemens.
© CBCP-NASSA
18
IMPACT • January 2010

Human Ecology and Peace
All this should be welcome news for
the Philippines as it has been called now
the fourth most disaster-prone country
owing to climate change, according to
Greenpeace. Citing the recent study by
the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC), the group said we’ve
been bearing the brunt of climate change
for more than a decade now, resulting in
“changes in the frequency, intensity, and
duration of extreme weather events.”
The study, where 2,500 scientists from
more than 100 countries took part,
warned of the impact of greenhouse
emissions on the atmosphere.
There can be no doubt that climate
changes will greatly affect the Philippines
as a whole. A country of some
7,100 islands, the Philippines is most
vulnerable to stronger weather disturbances
and the rise in temperature
and sea levels that could bring serious
flooding and affect agricultural and
marine yields, in 64 of the nation’s
81 provinces. In the last two decades
alone, the Philippines has suffered over
$5.2 billion in damage to property and
agriculture, causing the death of over
25,000 Filipinos. According also to the
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical,
and Astronomical Services Administration
(PAGASA), there has been an
increase in temperature in the country
at an average of 0.61 degrees Celsius
over the last 55 years, from 1951 to
2006 and this is consistent with the
global findings of the IPCC.
Earth’s surface temperatures will
continue to rise between 1.8 and 4.0
Celsius and sea levels by 7.1 inches to
23.3 inches by end of the century. A onemeter
rise in sea level may affect those
64 of our provinces covering 703 out of
1,610 municipalities. It will eventually
submerge 700 million square meters
of land across the country, altering the
country’s coastline. It is estimated too
that within this century, those 703 municipalities
may be submerged in water
and this could be sooner depending on
the melting of ice from Greenland and
West Antarctica. Worst-case scenarios
of complete melting will create a 7 to
12 meters sea level rise.
Wind and solar energy already play
an important part in a few countries—
though not quite yet in the Philippines
where these should be a natural. Around
20% of Denmark’s electricity comes
from wind and about 80% of China’s
hot water from solar energy. Solar photovoltaic
power has grown by an average
of 41% a year over the past three years;
wind has grown by 18% a year. Increased
demand has fuelled the boom. Power
companies are getting more interested
in renewables. But worldwide those two
energy sources barely register.
This Christian country therefore
needs to set its sights more seriously in
generating for this and future generations
the renewable sources of wind, sun
and water of which we have plenty.
At Copenhagen the nations of the
world agreed on a widened “REDD
Plus” fund—the mechanism for Reducing
Emissions from Deforestation
and Forest Degradation—which would
© CBCP-NASSA
Volume 44 • Number 1 19

Human Ecology and Peace
enable countries like the Philippines to
obtain incentives for keeping standing
forests. Recently a country like Guyana
signed an agreement with First World
Norway by which Guyana will accelerate
its efforts to limit forest-based greenhouse
gas emissions and protect its rain
forest as an asset for the world. Norway,
in turn, will initially put US$30 million
into Guyana’s “REDD Plus” fund and
subsequent payments of up to US$250
million over five years would be contingent
with Guyana’s ability in limiting
emissions and reducing deforestation,
which, currently, is almost negligible.
One wonders if the Philippines could
not do something similar.
The journey to Copenhagen began in
Rio de Janeiro in 1992, when nations adopted
the UN Framework Convention on
Climate Change as the basis for response
to global warming. Then, in 1997, 37
industrialized nations and the European
Union agreed on emission targets through
the Kyoto Protocol. It was, however,
largely unfulfilled. Thus the original goal
of the Copenhagen talks was to forge a
binding treaty that would go far beyond
that pact in securing concrete actions
worldwide. However, at the end of the day,
Copenhagen concluded a climate change
deal that was “meaningful” (per President
Obama) but “not binding”. Seventeen
years of talk is not enough. The talking
will continue in Mexico City in November
2010. But it’s not clear if a binding
agreement will be put in place then. If not,
the next talkies on so urgent a topic will
occur in 2015. It will all depend on the
foxes governing the henhouse. Unless…
until the power of the Spirit is allowed
to move hundreds of millions listening
to Rome for direct action. It may then be
possible again to bring down the mighty
from their thrones and allow the peoples
of Earth to love the only planet that gave
them their life and being.
Last week Pope Benedict XVI
said that environmental care requires
a conversion, a change in mentality: a
change in lifestyles, making them more
sober; a change in our development
model, which is all too often designed
for “narrow economic interests” without
care for creation; and experiencing
solidarity “that is projected in space
and time.” In a word: the problem of
protecting the environment is a moral
one. Thus, “humanity needs a profound
cultural renewal; it needs to rediscover
those values which can serve as the solid
basis for building a brighter future for
all. Our present crises—be they economic,
food-related, environmental or
social—are ultimately also moral crises,
and all of them are interrelated.”
Meanwhile, we hear the Pontiff:
“If you want to cultivate peace, protect
creation.” I
© Rodne Galicha
20
IMPACT • January 2010

MANILA, Jan.
6, 2010 ─ Focusing
on the
interior renewal
of the clergy
in this year
dedicated for
priests, an intense
five-day
national priests’
congress will be
held this month
that will gather
diocesan and
religious clergy
around the
country.
The second National Congress of
the Clergy set on January 25-29 at the
World Trade Center, Pasay City will be
days of spiritual reflection and profound
prayer for priests aimed at providing
them a deep religious experience “that
will hopefully lead to spiritual conversion
and greater commitment.”
More of a spiritual retreat in dynamics,
the congress aims to bring the
clergy to a deepening of their pastoral
commitment through interior renewal.
Msgr. Gerry Santos, program committee
member said the retreat has
the following dynamics: prayer and
liturgy, conferences, group reflection
and journal writing and encounter with
host families.
“These activities will help achieve
an atmosphere of prayerful reflection
and presbyteral fellowship,” he
explained.
Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, a Franciscan
Capuchin and preacher of the
Papal household will deliver five conferences
that will delve on the theme
“Faithfulness of Christ, Faithfulness
of Priests”, which the Holy Father has
chosen as theme for the celebration of
the Year for Priests.
On the fourth day of the retreat,
Imus Bishop Luis Antonio Tagle will
give two conferences touching on the
spiritual pastoral context of the Church
in the Philippines.
Three C’s
Filled with spiritual activities, the
five-day congress include other highlights
such as liturgical celebration of
the Eucharist, Communal Penance and
Reconciliation, the Via Crucis, Lauds
NEWS
FEATURES
Priests’ congress seeks spiritual renewal of clergy
and Vespers and the recitation of the
rosary.
Fr. Francis Gustilo, SDB, another
program committee member said Cantalamessa’s
reflection on the theme will
basically touch on the three C’s: “consecration,
conversion and commitment,”
which is the aim of the retreat.
“Consecration, [because] the priest
is consecrated, ordained for a mission;
conversion, because priests also commit
mistakes from what they promised
during their ordination; [and] commitment,
[or resolution] to renew their
lives,” he said.
Laity as participants
The laity are also encouraged by
organizers to participate in the upcoming
congress by way of praying and
offering sacrifices for their priests and
the success of the spiritual retreat.
Some lay people have been invited
to witness among the priests their pursuit
of holiness according to their state
in life. Sharers include former Chief
Justice Artemio Panganiban, Darren
Bancod (youth), Mr. and Mrs. Leopoldo
Repratente (couple) and Ms. Maria Voce
of the Focolare Movement.
The public will have their chance
to hear Cantalamessa preach on January
28 at the Araneta Coliseum, an event
open for the laity. He will speak to lay
people about their role in helping their
priests live faithfully their pastoral
commitment.
“Hopefully, our lay people will
be open enough to believe that change
can happen even to their pastors,” said
Gustilo.
He said it saddens him sometimes
that some people seemed to have taken
priests for granted.
“They are somewhat skeptical
whether this kind of retreat will effect
change in the priests. But of course,
if people are blinded by what they
already believed, they would not see
any possibility for change to happen,”
Gustilo said.
He said during the event people
should pray not only for the priests
Clergy, page 22
Malaysian protesters and hackers target
Catholic newspaper after ‘Allah’ ruling
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Jan. 5, 2010—Following the Malaysian High
Court’s approval of a Catholic newspaper’s use of the word “Allah” for God,
hundreds of Muslim youth have protested and the newspaper’s website has
been hacked several times.
The Herald, the country’s only Catholic publication, has been threatened
with the loss of its printing license for using “Allah” to name the Christian
God in its Malay-language section.
The newspaper argued that its usage follows centuries of tradition, while
the Malaysian government argued the usage by Christians would confuse
Muslims.
On Dec. 31 Judge Lau Bee Lan ruled in the Herald’s favor.
On Jan. 2 the Herald’s website was hacked twice and was found to be
hacked once again by CNA staff on the morning of Jan. 4.
Fr. Lawrence Andrew, the editor of the Herald, told the Malaysian Insider
that technicians have confirmed the cyber attacks took place and the website
was operating normally.
He declined to comment in detail, saying he did not want to add to the
tension on a “very sensitive” issue.
In Penang, about 250 members of the group Umno Youth conducted street
protests in front of the High Court building to protest the decision.
The Malaysian Insider says that protesters shouted “seditious” obscenities
in their protests.
Opponents of the ruling are also using social networking sites like Facebook
to rally support and to call for the ruling’s reversal.
Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has said the Home
Ministry will appeal the ruling. (CNA)
Volume 44 • Number 1 21

NEWS
FEATURES
Vietnamese Church: migrants are source
of development not social problem
XUAN LOC, Vietnam, Jan. 4, 2010—
Drug addiction, social discrimination,
high rate of abortions and children forced
to grow up in unhealthy environments.
Internal migrants in Vietnam are a valuable
resource for the
national economy.
However, public
opinion in the country
considers them
a source of social
problems and youth
unemployment.
To facilitate
integration, the
Catholic Church of
Vietnam has initiated
programs that respond to the "great
question of spirituality in life” and the
need for "moments together to share
experiences".
The migrants have left rural areas
seeking employment in urban centers.
They are mainly concentrated in industrial
zones in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City,
Creation, from page 9
the all-powerful Creator and the Father of mercies, so that
all men and women may take to heart the urgent appeal: If
you want to cultivate peace, protect creation.
From the Vatican, 8 December 2009
BENEDICTUS PP. XVI
ENDNOTES:
[1] Catechism of the Catholic Church, 198.
[2] Benedict XVI, Message for the 2008 World Day of Peace, 7.
Clergy, from page 21
but also for the country, saying the current situation in the
country needs vigilant lay people who are aware of their
rights and responsibility.
“CBCP dedicated this year as the year of the two hearts
of Jesus and Mary. Since the election is nearing, so we should
also have a renewed vision of our society. Our people should
elect the right persons to join the government. If we follow
always the traditional politics, nothing will happen in our
country, But if we are convinced of the people we should
vote for, then we will not sell our vote,” he said.
The clergy retreat will culminate in the afternoon of
January 29, with a huge procession of bishops and priests
from World Trade Center to Cuneta Astrodome to celebrate
the closing Eucharist with the laity.
Around 4,200 clergy nationwide have already registered
for the five-day spiritual event.
The clergy congress is being organized by the Episcopal
Commission on Clergy of the Catholic Bishops Conference
of the Philippines. (CBCPNews)
in the province of Binh Duong, Bien Hoa
in Dong Nai province. According to a
recent survey carried out by the General
Office of Statistics, each year more than
1.5 million people move from rural to
urban centers. Of
these, more than 800
thousand remain
within the province
of origin, a further
631 thousand move
to other provinces.
More than 90%
send their earnings
to their family.
Brother Phi, of
the Congregation of
Christian Brothers of St. John Baptist de
la Salle, has launched a series of meetings
for students and young workers in
the diocese of Xuan Loc "This is the first
time that we have organized gatherings
for immigrants in the Industrial Bein
Hoa area—explains the religious—and
it surprised us to see the participation of
about 500 people. They are not seeking
a solution to their material problems,
but they do show a great demand for
spirituality in their lives. The meeting
was also attended by non-Catholics".
A student from the group tells AsiaNews
he wants “more time to read the Bible
and moments of common prayer.” “We
need,” he added, “a spiritual life and to
profess our faith in God.” A second young
man reports that discrimination is still on
the agenda. Dung, a native of the diocese
of Than Hoa, states that migrants "are
looking for a job. I do not steal, do not
ask for charity, but many people look at
me with hostility. "
Since 1987 the diocese of Xuan
Loc is one of the towns most affected
by the phenomenon of internal migration.
To respond to the pastoral care, it
promotes charitable initiatives to support
the poor, the Catholics have taken
a special missionary work.
From August to December 2009
Father Nguyen Van Uy, director of the
local Caritas, has held five training
sessions for 81 people between teachers
and catechists who work in more than
200 parishes. In 2009 they celebrated
1,114 baptisms. (AsiaNews)
[3] Cf. No.48.
[4] Dante Alighieri, The Divine Comedy, Paradiso, XXXIII, 145.
[5] Message for the 1990 World Day of Peace, 1.
[6] Apostolic Letter Octogesima Adveniens, 21.
[7] Message for the 1990 World Day of Peace, 10.
[8] Cf. Benedict XVI, Encyclical Letter Caritas in Veritate, 32.
[9] Catechism of the Catholic Church, 295.
[10] Heraclitus of Ephesus (c. 535 – c. 475 B.C.), Fragment 22B124,
in H. Diels-W. Kranz, Die Fragmente der Vorsokratiker, Weidmann,
Berlin,1952, 6th ed.
[11] Cf. Benedict XVI,Encyclical Letter Caritas in Veritate, 48.
[12] John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Centesimus Annus, 37.
[13] Cf. Benedict XVI, Encyclical Letter Caritas in Veritate, 50.
[14] Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes, 69.
[15] Cf. John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, 34.
[16] Benedict XVI, Encyclical Letter Caritas in Veritate, 37.
[17] Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, Compendium of the Social
Doctrine of the Church, 467; cf. Paul VI, Encyclical Letter Populorum
Progressio, 17.
[18] Cf. John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Centesimus Annus, 30-31, 43
[19] Benedict XVI, Encyclical Letter Caritas in Veritate, 49.
[20] Ibid.
[21] Cf. Saint Thomas Aquinas, S. Th., II-II, q. 49, 5.
[22] Cf. No. 9.
[23] Cf. No. 8.
[24] Paul VI, Encyclical Letter Populorum Progressio, 43.
[25] Encyclical Letter Caritas in Veritate, 69.
[26] John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Centesimus Annus, 36.
[27] Benedict XVI, Encyclical Letter Caritas in Veritate, 51.
[28] Cf. ibid., 15, 51.
[29] Cf. ibid., 28, 51, 61; John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Centesimus
Annus, 38, 39.
[30] Cf. Benedict XVI, Encyclical Letter Caritas in Veritate, 70
22
IMPACT • January 2010

Dear People
of God,
“Happy
New Year!” This
greeting may not
just remain a simple
wish; its realization
is within
reach. Now, more
than ever, we hold
the promise of a
happier Philippines,
despite the
tragedies that happened
in the preceding
year.
Institutions need
change. No less
than the late Holy
Father, Pope John
XXIII of holy memory, said when he convoked the Second
Vatican Council: “Ecclesia semper reformanda est”. (The
Church must always be in the process of reform). 2010 in
our political life is an election year; people through the
exercise of their right of suffrage will effect a power shift
in the executive and legislative branches of our civil government.
We must retain what is good, promote what still
needs improvement and discard what is base and corrupt.
However, admittedly and sadly, a number of us have remained
myopic by focusing our attention only to the satisfaction of
the moment, swayed by the glitter of money and promises of
We represent all walks of life and
communities in the coastal,
low and highland areas. We
come together this November 19, after
reeling from the multiple crises that
have been aggravated by the destructive
climate risks.
We believe in the indivisibility of
human survival and human development,
reject the thesis of “survival of
the fittest” as socio-economic underpinning,
and advocate for the propitious
partiality towards the weaker and
marginalized members of our people
and society.
We do not accept the conjecture
that the catastrophic effects of climate
change are inevitable.
Nonetheless, we believe it is an
issue of cooperative survival. We
thus close ranks to commit ourselves
STATEMENTS
New Year’s Message
patronage, and do not raise our eyes beyond election time
to the resultant situation created by our indiscretion. Those
who have allowed, much worse abetted, corruption to thrive
in our midst, do not have the right to complain.
If we were a part of the problem yesterday, we can also
be a part of the solution today. We hold the key to a better
tomorrow. We need an informed electorate enlightened
through voters’ education, a vigilant citizenry who will guard
against the attempts of some to frustrate the genuine will
of the people, and steadfast persons who stay undaunted by
intimidation of ruthless politicians, in order to put into office
reliable leaders who would guide our nation in the coming
years.
The poor constitute the greater part of our population.
They are remembered and courted by politicians during
the campaign period. “Poverty alleviation”, “more jobs”
and “upliftment of the masses” are some familiar refrains
chanted by candidates and issues incorporated into their attractive
platforms. If only there is political will, the economic
situation of our people would be far better now that it was
generations back.
Social transformation starts within ourselves. Election
is an opportunity we cannot afford to miss. Over and above
the factors beyond our capacity, with our great faith in God
and in ourselves, we can still make our wish for a happy
new year a reality. God bless us all.
+NEREO P. ODCHIMAR, DD
Bishop of Tandag
CBCP President
December 30, 2009
Fairness in a Fragile World—Climate Change
A Declaration of Convergence and Unity
unequivocally to the crucial task of
rebuilding our nation and communities
through multi-dimensional reforms.
To address the perils of climate
change objectively, the primary link to
asset reform must be established on solid
ground. The coverage would include: (a)
peace and security, (b) adequate access
to essential services such as education,
health care and basic amenities, (c) gainful
employment or livelihood within the
country, and (d) human development at
the community, familial and personal levels
from the short to long-term periods.
All these aggregated constitute holistic
social justice and the systemic enabler
for the people to reasonably and vigorously
address climate change directly
today and for future generations.
We observe that the present meteorological
shifts started as a slow
process of environmental degradation
one millennium ago, which has started
to spiral rapidly towards a tipping point
at the onset of the prior century. We
express serious concern for climatic
phenomena, such as tsunami, extreme
floods, landslides, earthquakes, hurricanes,
poisoning of land and sea, rapid
depletion of natural and biotic resources,
melting of polar ice caps, depletion of
ozone layer, among others. And we are
much more seriously concerned that
most of these phenomena are caused by
human recklessness and greed.
We therefore convey our anxiety
and fear on the ability of our beloved
mother earth to carry our children into
the next century. It is in this light that
we join in the call of the United Nations
for a legally binding climate treaty
among rich and developing nations on
Volume 44 • Number 1 23

STATEMENTS
significant reduction of carbon emissions.
This will be addressed during the
Climate Change Summit in Copenhagen
on December 7-18, 2009.
For our beloved country and people,
our emotion deepens from worry into
trepidation. Our socio-economic problems
are deeply rooted in an unjust and
ecologically unsustainable development
model anchored on wanton objectivism
and irreversible exploitation. The model
contorted wealth creation through environmental
degradation and desolation,
notably the following:
“...massive deforestation of the
archipelago, disembowelling of the land
through destructive mining, harvesting
of protective mangroves and coral reefs,
poisoning of air, river, land and water
systems using chemical toxins, vehicular
smoke spews, industrial effluents, conversion
of watershed areas, hillsides,
beach fronts, parks and even irrigated
lands into exclusive leisure resorts,
golf course, housing, real estate and
infrastructural projects for the moneyed
elite and foreign investors.”
The above-cited destruction of the
Philippine environment was undertaken
for the benefit of the few under the careful
protection of the governing agencies.
With the inceptive climate change impacts,
the ultimate and most vulnerable
victims are the poor without the means
to parry climatic blows. From the lowlying
areas of Laguna and Pangasinan
to the mountains of the Cordilleras and
Sierra Madre to even coastal Visayas and
Mindanao, Typhoons Ondoy, Pepeng
and Santi collaborated to manifest their
destructive might and force. More than
a thousand perished, a million hectares
of agricultural lands inundated, and millions
are now facing an uncertain future
due to lost homes, personal belongings,
livelihoods and lives.
On their behalf, we appeal to the
Philippine government for justice – legal,
social and humanitarian.
We are appalled that the existing
development model engendered a
system of unsustainable consumption
backed up by unsustainable fiscal debts,
irresponsible extraction of natural resources,
and the amoral reliance on the
inward remittances of a third of our labor
force scouring outside of the country
and away from their families even now.
We view with grievous helplessness the
policy framework that directly caused
deindustrialization and financialization
of agriculture, aquaculture and fishing.
Jobs in millions and more were lost.
We are disturbed that our consumption
driven economy is based on imported
products.
We demand for the breaking of this
vicious cycle of unsustainable production,
unemployment, mass poverty and
environmental degradation. We call on
both the government and civil society
to work together towards a virtuous
ascent of environmental stewardship
and replenishment, shift to sustainable
agro-industries, and mobilize people for
reconstruction and systemic renewal.
We submit to our people and government
our asset reform and climate
change-adaptive agenda—agrarian,
housing, aquatic, ancestral domain
and support, urban community renewal,
rebuilding of rural and coastal communities,
and human resource development
canopy—to be addressed based on a
priority program to be discussed with
the concerned sectors and groupings.
We subscribe to the call of the
United Nations Environmental Program
and its global partners for the resolute
implementation by all the countries for
the needed mitigation and adaptation
measures to prepare and protect the
human race against climate change.
We support the call for climate
justice, such that the rich developed
countries which contribute
most to global carbon
emissions and the
consequential alterations of the global
climatic patterns undertake deep measurable
cuts in their carbon emissions
and contribute towards a global fund for
climate change mitigation. We move
that the issue be discussed during the
Copenhagen Climate Change Summit.
In the Philippine context, the program
for environmental renewal must be
holistic, coherent and socially inclusive.
Given that any economy is a derivative
of its environment, the two are in fact
stranded in normal or crisis period. The
program should therefore seek to reverse
the said onerous developmental policies.
We further call for a particular emphasis
on the multiple crises in farming, jobs,
livelihoods, energy and the economy.
We positively support any and all
efforts towards rebuilding our communities,
our schools, our farms, our
roads, our jobs, and our small and
medium-size businesses in the disasteraffected
areas.
We must bring back the forest, we
must plant trees. We call on all local government
units, including those in urban
centers, to place reforestation
on the very top of
their development
24
IMPACT • January 2010
Photo courtesy of Rodne Galicha

STATEMENTS
agenda. In addition, all segments of
society should be actively involved in
tree planting and forest cover.
We call on the Department of
Environment and Natural Resources
(DENR) to cease and desist from
acting as a department for natural resources
extraction. Instead, we seek a
moratorium on open-pit mining operations,
attainment of the requirement of
reforestation, watershed management,
community ecology, livelihood and
jobs preservation—as mandates to be
resolved positively.
We call for: (a) watershed-based
planning and development, to consider
the practical use of less expensive systems
like serial Sabo dams; (b) proactive
and anticipatory approaches to climate
change and disaster management using
adaptation and mitigation measures;
(c) agricultural production systems reform
from preparation to post-harvest,
and a shift to biodiverse, integrated
and organic farming; (d)
promotion of sustainable
or ecological
consumption,
e.g.,
brown rice, high-fiber diet, less meat
and preference for on-season locallygrown
food; (e) Information and communication
technologies, e.g., GIS,
GPS and remote sensing to monitor
climate changes and the widest public
dissemination of their likely impact on
farming and livelihood; and (f) promotion
of the values of green living, green
industry and green economy.
We support the twin struggles of the
poor and the excluded for economic and
environmental renewal, in particular –
farmers for agrarian reform and sustainable
agriculture; urban poor for housing
reform, anti-demolition and river and
urban renewal; fisherfolks for fishery
and blue or aquatic reform; indigenous
peoples for ancestral domain and a
ban on illegal logging and large-scale
mining in their ancestral domain; and
the workers for decent and green jobs
through more and greener industries.
We see the recent crises and debilitation
as clear and urgent signals
for mobilization to plan and undertake
a multi-dimensional reform program
involving the environment, asset reform
and economy. To finance the program,
we call on government to
declare a moratorium
on foreign debt
servicing (now
standing at US$53 billion (equivalent
to double the proposed national budget
for 2010). We advocate for the use of
a third of the debt-servicing portion be
reallocated to this rebuilding program.
The government should pursue negotiations
for the swapping of this atrocious
debt in exchange for climate change
adaptation.
Let this environmental-economic
renewal program aimed at rebuilding
our country and the different urban/
rural communities be inclusively a
people-based undertaking. Let this be a
collaborative and unified program of the
nation, involving popular consultation
and people participation in the process,
community by community and at all
levels. Let there be social partnership
between and among government (at all
levels), working people, Church, business
community, indigenous people and
other sectors of society.
We were made stewards of the
Earth. Yet, we are squandering it away
– to the extent that our own survival
is now challenged. As signatories to
this important document, we therefore
plead for unity through sharing and
nurturing with equity, productivity
and sustainability. Our programs and
activities cover all levels – from frameworks
and policies to development of
communities, families and individuals
as coherent members of the global
people. We subscribe to universal and
collective actions between nations
and peoples that would preserve and
bring veritable progress to the Filipino
people.
To this cause we congregate as a
singular network to be known as the
Climate Change Congress of the Philippines
(CCCP). We declare unwavering
commitment to pursue the above
reforms through all possible means
and the God-given strength bestowed
on us, individually and collectively.
We unite to concretize “fairness in our
fragile world”.
In God’s name, we are connected!
Mabuhay ang Pilipino! Mabuhay
ang Kalikasan! Ipaglaban ang Katarungang
Panlipunan!
Signatories: Farmers, Indigenous Peoples,
Urban Poor, Fisherfolk, Labor,
Business, Religious, Academe and
Scientists, Legislator, Advocates, Organizations
(Names of signatories have been
omitted due to space limitations. Eds.)
Volume 44 • Number 1 25

FROM THE
BLOGS
Behind and beyond the Maguindanao massacre
It was brutal, atrocious, inhuman. It was a national curse,
an international shame, a historical first in cruelty and
bestiality. Innocent men and women were murdered,
butchered and violated. Helpless media persons were slaughtered.
Some of them were even buried with their cars serving
as coffins. Their burial ground in terms of huge and deep
pits were prepared even much earlier—courtesy of a huge
and identified provincial backhoe.
Hence the many tears shed and the loud cries made by
the families and friends of the pitiful victims. Expressions
of frustration, indignation and condemnation were made not
only locally but also internationally. Not merely relatives
and friends of the mercilessly murdered people lamented the
human carnage unlimited, but many other individuals and
groups in different parts of the world, as well.
Most of all, loud and insistent were the demands to
catch and punish the criminal with the full force of law.
Yet, a good number of the perpetrators of the heinous crime
are still doing the rounds there, here and abroad. As usual,
the minds behind the debauchery are said to be aspiring for
confinement at well known St. Luke’s Hospital.
There is even the elementary perception promoted by the
administration in particular that the massacre was basically
political in nature and pre-election rivalry in context. Political
dynasty was said to be the culprit. Yes, there were long known
political warlords who were involved. Yes, no less than a
hundreds of heavily armed men perpetrated the massacre of
several dozens of individuals. Yes, the political warlords of
the place with their associates of well armed assassins and
butchers acted cool and calm to cover-up the killing fields
and to bury those they massacred in cold blood.
It is not a secret that Filipinos
by and large have not only an
innovative drive in doing things
but also a creative spirit in redoing
themselves—their outputs included.
And this some kind of an in-born trait
extends from the ingenious way they
have in living their admittedly difficult
day-to-day lives to the surprising and
even delightful way they continuously
reinvent their products. Let it be noted
that such inventive and fanciful disposition
is more often than not endowed
with a certain fun, not to mention their
being naughty as well.
A case in point is that on the occasion
of the last 2010 New Year’s Eve,
this report came about in whispers and
confidence: There were new firecrackers
on sale for the brave and courageous,
for the intrepid and defiant. But, these
firecrackers of recent vintage were not
found with their usual public displays. It
Novel firecrackers
was even said that they were sold in whispers,
and purchased with a commitment
to some kind of secrecy. Never mind the
price whereas what was more important
was the profound glee they brought about
for the big “bang” they gave.
The carefully absconded and surreptitiously
sold “new” firecrackers
were definitely not without their proper
inherent connotations. It was said that
their respective brand names were
enough to say that those who buy the
unique firecrackers should not fool
around with them—with the earnest
instruction that there must be an “all
clear” signal before any of them were
lighted and thereby exploded.
The novel firecrackers were said
to be three in kind hereafter mentioned
according to their reported ascending
order of loud unique “bang”—with their
also ascending price tags: First, “BIN
LADEN”. Second, “AMPATUAN”.
Meantime, the infamous and detestable ruling administration—coerced
by the well justified irate urgings of the
general public—is as usual “conducting investigations”
and “gathering evidence” and “identifying the suspects”
and “preparing the trials”. In fact, it even recently declared
“Martial Law” in the now foreboding Province of Maguindanao.
But very much more than all the above display of
usual over-concern and compassionate over-acting, there
appears to be much more than everything that is being said
and brandied about. Hence, the following straight questions
demanding straight answers:
Who authorized the forming of the big private armies
in the place by giving or allowing armed assassins to have
modern high powered weapons, letting them as well to roam
around the Province openly, freely and proudly “protecting”
their political masters? Who? Was it the DILG leadership
as principal agent?
Why were the known political warlords allowed to exist
and prosper, to live and act as billionaires with many palatial
homes and luxurious cars, without the least regard for the
high ranking PNP lawful authorities in the place? Why? Was
it because of Malacañang profound political gratitude from
the time its tenant and allies won all election since 1974?
What was the real and actual bottom-line issue in the
massacre of the times which was such a singular phenomenon
to merely pin it on but political rivalry in a local and
distant place, yet undertaken with big nonchalance and much
bravura? What? Was it huge and customary drug dealing,
together with continuous big money laundering—particularly
in Las Vegas?
www.ovc.blogspot.com
Third “GOOD-BYE GLORIA”.
This is not to say that such opted
nomenclature or brand names are
fair or otherwise, disrespected or
otherwise. They all have certain common
implications: One, they all say
something rather critical and fatal
even. Two, they all imply something
specially discredited and deplorable.
Three, they all forward something rare
as extraordinary awful in being and
unacceptable in standing.
There seems to be no record how
many of the said firecrackers were sold/
bought, how much they were enjoyed
by those who fired them as well as those
who saw and heard them explode. But
with such appended names to those firecrackers,
it is hard to imagine the awe
and apprehension they made, and the
commotion and impression they cause
when fired. And understandably so!
www.ovc.blogspot.com
26
IMPACT • January 2010

EDITORIAL
Illustration by Bladimer Usi
A gov’t of 4 trillion debts
One thousand pesos is not that hard to imagine and
to count. One million pesos however is already
quite difficult to think about and to count for the
ordinary Filipino. But one trillion pesos certainly requires
so many more numbers to use and to count. How about
contemplating and counting no less than four trillion
pesos plus? This would require a rather good accountant
helped by a pretty good calculator, to take note and count.
There are definitely relatively few Filipinos who know
how a trillion pesos look and weigh.
The national government has all the leisure and the
pleasure of incurring all possible internal and external
debts, readily and easily giving sovereign guarantees
when so needed and required. And whereas according
to the Constitution of a Republican Democracy, sovereignty
resides in the people, it is infallibly the People
of the Philippines who are obliged and expected to pay
all said debts.
This must be contrary to even but elementary logic: A
government known for its incurring big debts and famous
as well as for its tested expertise in graft and corruption,
extravagance and wasteful spending—yet the Filipinos
have no option but to pay for the debts through their
direct and indirect taxes.
Let it be assumed that there are 100 million Filipinos.
Just as some kind of a mathematical exercise, divide a
4 trillion peso debt (which is in much more) among 100
million people (who are much less) and it will not only
be interesting but also terrifying to know that every Filipino,
infants and children, young and old, elderly and
sick, has to pay for a whopping 40 thousand pesos each
for debt incurred by this still ruling national government.
The result can cause desperation or even inspire some
kind of a social unrest.
Millions of boys and girls, not to mention young
people do not go to school for lack of resources or on
account of the feeling of futility. Millions of adult men
and women find no work or have no profitable ventures.
Millions of elderly and sick Filipinos do not benefit
from sufficient and dependable social welfare services.
Meantime as this national government is fast becoming
anti-population by bowing to strong pressure from
anti-population foreign interests, the fact is that it is the
remittances of people as Overseas Filipino Workers that
keep the country economically afloat.
And there are so many curious as well as suspicious
things that can still happen in this otherwise blessed and
promising country before and after May 2010.
Volume 44 • Number 1 27

FROM THE
INBOX
From the e-mail messages of lanbergado@cbcpworld.net
The bear and the two travelers
Two men were traveling together,
when a bear suddenly met them on
their path. One of them climbed up
quickly into a tree and concealed himself
in the branches. The other, seeing that he
must be attacked, fell flat on the ground,
and when the bear came up and felt him
with his snout, and smelt him all over,
he held his breath, and feigned the appearance
of death as much as he could.
The bear soon left him, for it is said he
will not touch a dead body.
When he was quite gone, the other
traveler descended from the tree, and
jocularly inquired of his friend what it
was the bear had whispered in his ear.
“He gave me this advice,” his companion
replied. “Never travel with a
friend who deserts you at the approach
of danger.”
The bishop’s gift
Once, a church had fallen
upon hard times. Only five
members were left: the pastor
and four others, all over 60
years old.
In the mountains near the
church there lived a retired
bishop. It occurred to
the pastor to ask the
bishop if he could
offer any advice
that might save
the church. The
pastor and the
bishop spoke
at length, but
when asked
for adv
i c e ,
the bishop simply
responded by saying, “I have
no advice to give. The only thing I
can tell you is that the Messiah is
one of you.”
The pastor, returning to the
church, told the church members
what the Bishop had said. In the
months that followed, the old church
members pondered the words of the
bishop. “The Messiah is one of us?”
they each asked themselves. As they
thought about this possibility, they
all began to treat each other with extraordinary
respect on the off chance
that that one among them might be
the Messiah. And on the
off, off chance
t h a t
each
member
himself might
be the Messiah,
they also began
to treat
themselves
with extraordinary
care.
As time went
by, people visiting the
c h u r c h noticed the aura of
respect and gentle kindness
that surrounded the five old members
of the small church. Hardly
knowing why, more people began
to come back to the church. They
began to bring their friends, and
their friends brought more friends.
Within a few years, the small
church had once again become
a thriving church, thanks to the
bishop's gift.
© etc.usf.edu
Real friend
Horror gripped the heart of the World
War I soldier, as he saw his life-long
friend fall in battle. Caught in a trench
with continuous gunfire whizzing over his
head, the soldier asked his lieutenant if he
might go out into the “No Man's Land”
between the trenches to bring his fallen
comrade back.
“You can go,” said the lieutenant, “but
I don't think it will be worth it. Your friend
is probably dead and you may throw your
own life away.”
The lieutenant's words didn't matter, and
the soldier went anyway. Miraculously he
managed to reach his friend, hoist him onto
his shoulder, and bring him back to their
company's trench. As the two of them tumbled
in together to the bottom of the trench, the
officer checked the wounded soldier, then
looked kindly at his friend.
“I told you it wouldn't be worth it,”
he said. “Your friend is dead, and you are
mortally wounded.”
“It was worth it, though, sir,” the soldier
said.
“How do you mean, 'worth it'?” responded
the lieutenant. “Your friend is dead!”
“Yes sir,” the private answered. “But,
it was worth it because when I got to him,
he was still alive, and I had the satisfaction
of hearing him say, ‘Jim, I knew you'd
come.’”
© www.andeanbear.org
28
IMPACT • January 2010

ook
Reviews
My Joy in You
Christian Techniques of Happiness
Nil Guillemette
No human being would pointedly choose sadness over happiness. In fact,
many people seek happiness at all cost, not realizing that happiness is
just a matter of one’s attitude towards life. Incidentally, our thoughts can
influence us a lot in making this a reality as what American philosopher
and psychologist William James wrote: “The greatest discovery of my
generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes
of mind.” Modern-day psychologists attest to the power of the mind
in controlling a person’s attitudes, feelings, emotions and eventually actions.
Simply put, thoughts have a
lot to contribute to a person’s happiness.
Negative thinking leads
to negative feeling and negative
acting. Similarly, positive thinking
leads to positive feeling and
positive acting. This workbook
provides exercises where readers
are expected to practice the
“techniques” that can lead them
to live a happy and joyful life.
Basically it sums up into this principle:
“if we want to be happy, we
must reject the negative thoughts
arising in us and accept only the
positive ones.” Guillemette, a Jesuit
and a Scripture scholar says
the exercises in the workbook,
as the volume is referred to, are
meant not just to be read but to
be put into practice. The book is
published by Paulines Publishing
House.
Oca’s Parables and Fables
Archbishop Oscar Cruz, DD
The 20 short stories found in the pages of this book
are modern parables on the realities of everyday life.
Daily life often brings with it various circumstances
that provide opportunity to learn lessons from. But the
lessons that one can derive from these realities often
go unnoticed because of their ordinariness. Telling
his stories with a fresh perspective, the author invites
readers to take
a profound
look into the
mysteries of
life hoping that
they will “notice
and know
m o r e , a n d
hopefully appreciate
more,
commonplace
realities found
everywhere”
to better understand
their
“proper value
and import”
upon an individual’s
earthly
existence.
How to Conquer Your
Goliath
7 Keys to Overcome Every Problem That
Prevents You from Reaching Your Dreams
Bo Sanchez
In this latest inspirational
book,
w e l l k n o w n
p r e a c h e r a n d
writer Bo Sanchez,
once again
dishes out words
of wisdom borne
out of experience.
No problem in
life, however big
it is—financial,
physical, family
or spiritual—
can’t be solved
and overcome.
Sanchez shares
seven powerful
keys that can empower
a person
to overcome life’s
problems. These
principles are sure means to change the course of
one’s life: follow your dream with passion; focus on
your core gift; believe in yourself when others don’t;
build your team; take action; fail forward; and shine
your light. This motivational book is published by
Shepherd Voice Publications.
Regaining Joy
A Guide to Overcoming Stress and Sadness
Renee Bartkowski
Modern-day living often brings with
it corresponding problems and trials
that can be a source of undue
stress for most people. Personal
sufferings can sometimes lead to
sadness and depression. When
this happens, faith in God’s goodness
and mercy is sometimes
questioned. In this simple little
book, the author tackles the topic
of overcoming low moments in
life with a personal touch. Putting
herself in the shoes of a person
experiencing sadness caused by
trials, she pinpoints the problems,
talk it out with God in prayer and
formulate resolutions on how to
overcome emotional paralysis that
problems can cause when these
are allowed to take control of the
person. Indeed, reading the book
one will realize that the decision
to remain happy and optimistic
despite the stressful conditions we
often find ourselves in, still depend
on each individual and not on anybody else nor in any circumstances.
Volume 44 • Number 1 29

ENTERTAINMENT
Ca t h o l i c INi t i a t i v e fo r
Enl i g h t e n e d Mov i e App r e c i a t i o n
Pandora is one of the smaller planets some 4.3
light years from Earth. It is a luscious and unspoiled
home to the 10 foot tall blue skinned
Na’vi. The humans of the Earth has encroached deep
into Pandora’s forest in search for valuable minerals
but are held back by the planet’s atmosphere which
is deadly to them. Meanwhile, Jake Sully (Sam Worthington),
a former US Marine now paralyzed from
waist down is selected to participate in the Avatar
program, wherein genetically-bred human Na’vi hybrids
are created to adapt to Pandora’s atmosphere.
In exchange for the ability to move and walk again,
Jake must serve as a scout for the human soldiers
who follow him in Pandora’s jungles. However,
when Jake learns of the Na’vi culture and falls in
love with Princess Neytiri (Zoe Saldana), his loyalty
becomes torn between his obligation as a spy and
his new found love.
AVATAR is a visual feast that tells an entertainingly
tight story. Director James Cameron manages
to recreate a world so charming and dreamy with its
sharp CGIs and brilliant attention to technical detail.
The story’s development and screenplay falls a little
short as it tries hard to be relevant. Over-all the creative
lapses are overtaken by the superb visuals.
At the core of a person is his loyalty to what is
right and what is good. At some point, a person might
be influenced by power or authority or persuaded by
debt of gratitude but almost always, there will be that
small voice whispering to choose love, unity, peace
and brotherhood. The film illustrates a person’s hierarchy
of needs and desires. It seems that man wants
most what he has lost or is incapable of. He thinks
he will sell even his soul just to get back what he has
lost. However, at the end of the day, what will truly
make one happy and content is not merely fulfilling
those needs and desires but following what is true
and good as dictated by the soul and heart.
The movie contains several intense war-related
violence, some profanity and crude language. The film
is inappropriate for very young children. Parents are
strongly advised to guide their children who would
like to watch the film.
Cast: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang, Michelle
Rodriguez
Director: James Cameron
Producers: Cameron, Jon Landau
Screenwriter: James Cameron
Music: James Homer
Editor: James Cameron, John Refoua, Stephen E. Rivkin
Genre: Sci-Fi Adventure
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Running Time: 123 mins
Technical Assessment: ••••
Moral Assessment: ½
CINEMA Rating: For viewers 14 and above
30
IMPACT • January 2010

ASIA
BRIEFING
THAILAND
Blasts kill one during
Thai PM's visit south
Alleged rebels have
detonated two bombs in
Thailand’s south, killing
one person, as PM Abhisit
Vejjajiva visits the Muslimmajority
region. The first
blast was just 100 metres
away from where Abhisit
was due to open a road in
the Yala town. The other
bomb exploded about 2
kms. away, and killed a civilian
defense volunteer.
INDONESIA
Dancers' arrests stir
fears of Sharia law
Women's rights groups
here are calling on police to
release four exotic dancers
nabbed on Jan. 1 under the
country's anti-pornography
law. Police alleged they
were about to perform a
striptease and were wearing
"sexy clothing". Under
the law, the dancers could
be jailed for up to 15 years
for showing or suggesting
sexual acts that are said to
violate morality.
CHINA
Govt jails Tibetan filmmaker
A court here has sentenced
a Tibetan filmmaker
for six years over his documentary
airing ordinary people’s
grievances. Among
the topics he discussed in
his documentary “Leaving
Fear Behind” were Chinese
rule, the exiled Dalai Lama
and the Olympics which
Beijing was preparing to
hold in August 2008.
NEPAL
Maoist child soldiers
freed
Thousands of former
child soldiers who fought
for the Maoists in Nepal's
decade-long civil war on
Jan. 7 started to leave UNmonitored
camps around
the country. Almost 24,000
former Maoist fighters have
been living in the camps
since they were discharged
as part of the 2006 peace
pact. Their release will allow
the Maoists to be removed
from a UN list of groups that
use children in conflict.
JAPAN
Sole survivor of Japan
nuke blasts dies
Tsutomu Yamaguchi,
93, and the sole person
officially recognized as having
survived both nuclear
bombings in Japan during
World War II has died. On
August 6, 1945, he was on
a business trip to Hiroshima
when an atomic bomb was
dropped on the city. Yamaguchi
was badly hurt and
the attack resulted in the
deaths of 140,000 people.
He was there on August
the 9th when it too was
bombed and claimed 70,
000 lives.
BURMA
Burma journalist gets
20 years in jail
A court here has given a
20-year jail term to a video
journalist who worked with
an exiled Burmese media
group. Reports said that 25-
year-old freelance reporter
Hla Hla Win was arrested in
September after visiting a
Buddhist monastery about
500 kms. north of Rangoon.
A woman who had accompanied
her was sentenced
to 26 years in jail.
VIETNAM
China tourism plans hit
China’s proposal to develop
tourism on the disputed
Paracel archipelago
has gained condemnation
from Vietnam. Hanoi has
called on China to put a
halt to the plan, which may
cause further tension and
complicate the maritime
situation. The two nations
have a long-standing dispute
over sovereignty of
the Parcels and the Spratlys
archipelago.
KOREA
South, North Korea
seek peace talks
South Korea has again
urged its communist neighbour,
North Korea, to disarm.
President Lee Myung-
Bak's remarks come after a
call by N. Korea recently for
an end to hostile relations
with S. Korea's key ally,
the US, and a nuclear-free
peninsula. Lee said South
Korea and North Korea
should establish a body for
productive dialogue.
PAKISTAN
5 alleged US militants
to stand trial
Five US militant suspects,
arrested in December
on suspicion of trying
to contact Al-Qaeda linked
groups, are due to appear in
a Pakistani court on charges
of plotting terror attacks.
Authorities said they will
seek life-long jail sentences
for the five men. The men,
who are all US citizens with
dual nationality including
two Pakistani-Americans,
have also been questioned
by the FBI.
BANGLADESH
Court signs death warrants
for Mujib killers
Executions await the five
killers of Bangladesh’s independence
leader Shiekh
Mujibur Rahman in 1975
after a judge has signed
their death warrants. Officials
said the executions
will take place within the
next four weeks. It may
also be delayed if they seek
another review by the Supreme
Court or appeal for
presidential clemency. Mujib
daughter Sheikh Hasina
is now Bangladesh's prime
minister.
CAMBODIA
Group seeks end to
forced participation in
drug trials
US-based Human Rights
Watch called on Cambodia
to stop the forced participation
of drug users in the trial
of an experimental herbal
formula to "cure" their drug
dependence. Such a trial
violates, the group said,
the rights of the forced
participants and does not
meet minimum scientific
standards.
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