MANILA, Philippines – Did you know that we regularly pass by certain spots in Metro Manila that have a rich history of dissent? 

In commemoration of the 38th anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution, Project Gunita released a map to pinpoint important landmarks and locations in Metro Manila linked to the Martial Law years and the Marcos dictatorship.

This effort is part of the #RoadToEDSA campaign which features a series of infographics on events and location maps relevant to the 1986 uprising that restored democracy to the country. 

Metro Manila is so far the most documented region in the Philippines linked to the EDSA People Power movement. Project Gunita said that there are still gaps in terms of making history more accessible to the people even in urban areas. 

“We can share this information to popularize it because it’s a waste if we just gatekeep this, right? I guess a lot of the times…it’s only kept within academic circles, fellow enthusiasts, historians – they know it, but when it comes to the people who are really interested in these topics,” Project Gunita co-founder Sarah Gomez said in a mix of Filipino and English.

“We want them to be interested, we want them to learn more about their history, appreciate and learn,” Gomez added.

Project Gunita co-founder Karl Patrick Suyat said in a mix of Filipino and English, “I think the biggest gain of the entire map in terms of making history more accessible – not just resources – but making history itself more accessible, is letting people in Metro Manila know that EDSA was not just in EDSA or the protest movement against Marcos was not just in Mendiola for that matter.”

The #RoadToEDSA campaign aims to debunk misconceptions about the movement, among them, that the uprising only happened in just a matter of days. Project Gunita said it wanted to highlight the buildup of significant events during the Marcos dictatorship through mapping several hotspots where these events happened. 

“Through the maps, we hope to also focus on those little events that I guess pushed it forward. It’s really trying to show that it’s really several movements that converged and culminated into EDSA that ended it all,” Gomez said. 

A separate location map of Cebu was launched on February 21. These two maps were released under the campaign to signify two capitals of resistance relevant to the history of the anti-dictatorship struggle: Manila being the center of power, and Cebu as the center of opposition. 

The Manila map consists of 28 significant locations in Quezon City, Manila, Makati, and Taguig, among others – each representing areas with important historical context.

You may access the full description of the Metro Manila map here.

Here are additional information on some locations.

Ugarte Field

Ugarte Field in Makati, now known as the Ayala Triangle , was one of the important sites of protest actions against the Marcos dictatorship. For instance, one major campaign rally of the Cory Aquino-Salvador Laurel tandem in 1986 took place there. 

“‘Yung mga confetti rallies dati at mga kampanya ni Cory, sa Ugarte lagi ginaganap. Hindi siya sa EDSA…. But in the days, weeks, and years leading to EDSA, ang laki ng papel na ginampanan [ng lugar na ito] sa people’s movement,” Suyat said. 

(The confetti rallies and the campaign of Cory all happened at Ugarte. Not in EDSA…. But in the days, weeks, and years leader to EDSA, this place played a significant role in the people’s movement.)

Gomez also added that given the history of these confetti rallies, Makati was considered a rally zone and center of dissent, paving the way for other opposition parties to stage their campaigns there. 

Corinthian Gardens

The Corinthian Gardens gate in White Plains, Quezon City, was also a significant landmark after one of its walls was crashed into by a military tank in an attempt to avoid the crowd in Ortigas and proceed to Camp Aguinaldo. 

This happened following the order to attack Camp Aguinaldo and Camp Crame on February 24, 1986. 

Libis

On February 24, 1986, reinforcement troops from Marcos-Ver forces attempted to use tear gas on nuns and civilians to try to disperse the crowd and make their way to Camp Aguinaldo. 

The attempt failed due to “sudden changes of wind” that blew the tear gas to the soldiers, Project Gunita said.

Panay Avenue

Panay Avenue became a historical symbol of battle during the last days of the Marcos dictatorship. According to the post, people massed up in this area to add civilian forces to the rebel soldiers who were trying to take over Channel 9 and Channel 4. 

In particular, the Tropical Hut restaurant at the corner of Panay and Bohol Avenue, which stands to this day, was a place where people gathered and witnessed the firefights between Marcos forces and rebels on the last days of the dictatorship. 

What’s next?

According to Project Gunita, this project does not end in the EDSA commemoration. They are still in the process of researching and collating archives to add more locations and historical context that have yet to be uncovered, especially in other provinces. 

“This isn’t just a Manila experience. We’ve seen a lot of propaganda being put out there saying that EDSA is a Metro Manila experience, that the abuses are mainly in the National Capital Region (NCR)…but it’s not really about being in the capital, because there are a lot of abuses, a lot of movements in the countryside that aren’t reported; that aren’t popularized,” Gomez said. 

She encouraged Filipinos to make use of the map to visit these sites in Metro Manila to learn more about the history of the People Power Movement. 

“Even if they see the map late, it’s okay. I guess this is also a way for us to let people commemorate EDSA, even if it’s not the anniversary,” Gomez said. 

“Let’s not always forget about the ‘people’ in People Power. And when you make all of these places more closer to the people, it’s making them closer to their own story,” Suyat added. – Rappler.com 

If you are looking for a safe space to voice your thoughts and an interactive platform away from toxicity and disinformation, Rappler Communities is the place to be.

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Patuloy na lumalawak ang kapasidad ng teknolohiya na lumikha at magpakalat ng impormasyon. Sa harap nito, gaano pa rin kahalaga ang fact-checking?

Ibahagi ang iyong opinyon sa #FactsFirstPH chat room ng Rappler Communities app sa Biyernes, Marso 1, 6 pm.

More about Rappler Communities

• Rappler launches Rappler Communities: Here’s what you need to know
• Dreaming big with you: Chat for change
• Rappler Communities: FAQs on community-building initiatives
• Rappler Communities: Tech FAQs
• Rappler Communities: Platform FAQs

– Rappler.com

The following is a press release from the PUP Radio Conference.

The Young Communicators’ Guild, the official radio and news arm of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines College of Communication, proudly announces the tenth-year milestone of its flagship event: the PUP Radio Conference. This year’s theme is R-BOT: Decoding Media’s Fate in the Age of A.I.

The conference is on March 8, 11 am, at the Tanghalang PUP, College of Communication building. With over 600 expected attendees from various senior high schools and universities across the country, this year’s conference aims to be a transformative exploration into the future of media amidst the presence of artificial intelligence.

Through the symposium, the organization intends to ascertain if these technological advancements could help solidify the radio sector in the industry, as renowned media personalities who will serve as speakers offer valuable insights on AI’s presence and its repercussions.

Gefriene Manabat, the project head of PUP Radio Conference 2024, said of the event, “As future radio practitioners and members of the PUP-COC’s official radio organization, it is only right and just that we use this event to give our participants an insightful learning experience about the future of the media in AI applications with the help of our guest speakers from the radio industry.”

Manabat said that this year’s symposium shall offer an array of entertaining and interactive activities both around the venue and throughout the event proper, enhancing the participants’ experience.

Interested attendees can register for PUP RCon 2024 through this link until March 6.

Meanwhile, the PUP Radio Festival, a sub-event of PUP RCon, is still open for entries until March 12. Categories for both High School and College Division this year are Radio News Production, Podcasting, and Radio Jingle Making. Participants can register through this link.

For inquiries on event registration, contact puprconreg2024@gmail.com via email or send a message on the event’s Facebook page for the latest news and announcements. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Commuting in Metro Manila is a daily struggle.

Since the pandemic, more people have turned to biking to get around. As a response, the government put up bike lanes across the metro. To find out how bike-friendly Metro Manila is, Rappler rode a loop of 120 kilometers around the capital in January for a documentary. Riding 100 kilometers or more is part of the bucket list of many bikers due to its sheer distance and the challenge it poses.

The loop covered Pasig, Marikina, Quezon City, Valenzuela, Malabon, Caloocan, Manila, Pasay, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Muntinlupa, and Taguig.

To assess bike-friendliness, Rappler drew up criteria evaluating the bike lanes using four factors: lane width, road conditions, obstructions, and segregation. 

These are factors that affect a biker’s safety on the road, also take into account the infrastructure the government put in place, and gauge the attitude of other motorists with respect to the lane and the bike commuter.

Only portions of the major roads covered in the loop were measured in the scorecard. 

But how safe is Metro Manila for bikers? Rappler’s Iya Gozum biked a 120-kilometer loop in Metro Manila to find out. – Rappler.com

Reporter/writer: Iya Gozum
Producer/field director: Nina Liu
Supervising producer: Beth Frondoso
Video editor: JP San Pedro
Environment editor: Jee Geronimo
Animator: David Castuciano
Graphic artists: Raffy de Guzman, Marian Hukom, Nico Villarete
Director of photography: Jeff Digma
Second camera operator: Errol Almario
Assistant cameramen: Danny Espina, Ramil Cedeno

Improving active transportation facilities and policies is part of the call of various groups to #MakeManilaLiveable. On Rappler, we have created a dedicated space for stories and reports about liveability in Philippine cities. Learn more about the movement here.

MANILA, Philippines – Free and accessible satellite images are underutilized in the Philippines’ fight against disasters and climate change, government officials and scientists said on Tuesday, March 19.

Satellite images capture land cover changes, sea level rise, and ice mass loss. Over time, these data could show an accurate picture of a warming planet.

Satellite data are made available to the public through programs from the United States’ National Aeronautics and Space Administration or NASA and the European Space Agency, among others. But despite their availability, the Philippines has yet to maximize the use of such data.

“It’s an acceptable truth that satellite information is still underutilized despite the fact that about 60% of essential climate variables are being measured [with it],” said Marcelino Villafuerte II, a scientist from state weather bureau Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration or PAGASA.

“I think that challenges that we have right now are more of having an open mind [in] utilizing such kind of information,” Villafuerte said during a forum in Makati on Tuesday.

For example, PAGASA, an agency tasked to forecast calamities and provide warnings to communities, has only one unit that focuses on satellite data utilization.

“And that one unit is actually composed of less than 10 people,” said Villafuerte.

Inside the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Undersecretary Carlos Primo David heads the geospatial database office (GDO), which uses satellite imagery to keep tabs on the country’s natural resources as well as activities that affect Philippine biodiversity. David manages 10 people under this office established in 2023.

How it’s being used now

While not yet mainstreamed in government agencies, academic institutions have already made use of satellite imagery in past research.

In the same forum, geologist Mahar Lagmay shared how the academe used satellite images to determine how the temperature in Metro Manila is hotter than in rural areas or how some areas devastated by Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) are susceptible to shallow landslides.

Lagmay is currently the executive director of the University of the Philippines Resilience Institute.

The geologist agreed that there’s a dearth of people who know how to make use of such data. One thing the government can do is invest in state universities and colleges by providing equipment.

“Basically, it’s getting people to become aware that there [is] a lot of imagery that’s available,” Lagmay said.

“There [are] a lot of platforms that can be used so that we can investigate the country in more detail – not just place-wise but also time-wise.”

Meanwhile, the GDO in the environment department has used satellite imagery to determine which projects do not have environmental compliance certificates. David, a geologist himself, said their office also found illegal mining operations and unrestored mining sites. They were also able to map out the Philippines’ water and mineral resources, as well as forest lands.

The technology has made this kind of surveillance work more cost-effective, said David.

“With 10 people in our team, and a whole country to map out, there’s actually no way to do that except that if we use satellite imagery.”

“The next step there really is leveraging on this technology for progress and economic development that comes after this mapping.”

Open data and communities

Aside from utilizing data to check how climate change affects communities and compounds natural hazards, Lagmay said information must be disseminated across government agencies and communities.

Information must be “at the tips of our fingers” and open data would pave the way to better planning and a more proactive stance toward impending disasters, said Lagmay.

“When we plan communities through the land use plan, the DRRM (disaster risk reduction and management) plan, the climate change action plan, you need all of these data sets,” the geologist said.

“Data sets need to be shared, they cannot be in silos. We don’t want to shortchange the people in communities.”

Must Read

As the world warms, the Philippines preps with AI weather forecasting system

– Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Environmentalists, active transport advocates, and heritage conservationists celebrated the apparent cancellation of the Pasig River Expressway (PAREX) as a win for communities threatened by the project.

But what’s next after San Miguel Corporation president Ramon Ang’s announcement? What other government projects could affect Pasig River, Metro Manila’s most iconic waterway?

Rappler community lead Pia Ranada talks to two advocates who fought PAREX alongside communities: Joven Jacolbia of Ilog Pasiglahin, and Rigel Magcale, an urban planner.

Ilog Pasiglahin is a group pushing for the sustainable revitalization of Pasig River. Learn more about their advocacy and how they think rivers in Philippine cities should be developed.

Catch the conversation at 7 pm on Friday, March 22, on this page and Rappler’s YouTube and social media pages.

This is the first episode of a special series of Be The Good called Let’s Talk Liveability that will focus on efforts to improve the quality of life in Philippine cities in the aspects of transportation and mobility, green and open spaces, access to basic services, heritage conservation, disaster resilience, and local economy.

The series is part of Make Manila Liveable, a collaboration between Rappler and civil society groups pushing for liveability in cities. Learn more about the movement here. – Rappler.com

Also on Rappler

• Be The Good: Leo Laparan II on standing up for campus press freedom
• Be The Good: Sharon Cortez on forest schools, getting kids to go outdoors
• Be The Good: Nanie Guanlao and Carmela Bunyi on spreading community reading centers
• Be The Good: Robie Siy on creating streets for people
• Be The Good: Sabrina Gacad on helping victims of gender-based violence
• Be The Good: Cielo Magno on her call to abolish confidential funds

MANILA, Philippines – With the future of the Pasig River Expressway (PAREX) project uncertain, advocates who opposed the project called on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to center his Pasig River revival initiative on the needs of communities near the iconic waterway.

Joven Jacolbia and Rigel Magcale, members of volunteer group Ilog Pasiglahin, told Rappler on Friday, March 22, that they would support the President’s and First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos’ “Pasig Bigyang Buhay Muli Project” (PBBM), if it would be based on genuine consultation with communities.

“We welcome the plan because we in Ilog Pasiglahin think that government should take the lead in rehabilitating Pasig River,” said Jacolbia in a Be The Good interview with Rappler community lead Pia Ranada.

“We’ve seen the plans. President Marcos said, it will be people-driven, community-oriented, but right now, unfortunately, none of us–and even none of our partner communities–have been consulted in the drafting or planning the program,” he added.

The “Pasig Bigyang Buhay Muli Project,” which has the same acronym as Marcos’ name, was officially introduced to the public last January. It has its roots in his July 2023 executive order which created the Inter-Agency Council for the Pasig River Urban Development (IAC-PRUD), headed by the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development and vice-chaired by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority.

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In the plan, 8 areas along the 25-kilometer stretch of the Pasig River will be developed into “people-centric” zones that will feature a mix of commercial spaces, public parks, bike lanes, and jogging areas. Thousands of informal settlers stand to be displaced by the project but the government gave assurances they would be given new homes in permanent relocation sites.

How the Palace-backed river revival plan would jive with PAREX and other road projects near Pasig River confuses groups like Ilog Pasiglahin.

But Marcos’ vision for the river is closer to their goals than the planned expressway.

Jacolbia and Magcale, however, emphasized that genuine public consultation and collaboration with Pasig River communities would make the Marcos plan more sustainable. Without the involvement of communities, it would be easier for another administration to scrap the project. It would also be much easier for private developers to “co-opt” the riverside sites and turn them into enclaves for the rich, shutting out ordinary people who have the right to enjoy the river too.

“Hindi naman gagana ‘yung isang proyekto ‘pag hindi naman ‘to ginamit o hindi naman ‘to sinosolve, ‘yung kung ano bang mga problema ng communities,” said Jacolbia, pointing out the importance of consulting with the people.

(A project cannot run without people who can benefit from it and if it does not address the issues of the communities.)

The two advocates also pushed for a law that would ensure protection of Pasig River from projects like PAREX. There is also still the planned Southern Access Link Expressway or SALEX that could affect one end of Pasig River.

One way is to declare Pasig River a heritage site, something which only one city, Makati, has done, through an ordinance.

“It needs to be protected by law, Pasig River, that it’s open for nature and sustainably developed. The laws should make it hard to be co-opted for things or developments that are not people-centric,” said Magcale.

He also pointed out that, in the local development plans of cities that would be traversed by PAREX, the river’s banks were identified mostly as recreational or tourist sites, not as a site for a major road. Thus, if national government were to listen to local government units, PAREX and other projects like it should not be given the green light.

The national agency that had previously coordinated policies for Pasig River, the Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission, was dissolved by former president Rodrigo Duterte in 2019.

Pasig River rehabilitation guide book

Currently, Ilog Pasiglahin is developing a “Pasig River Rehabilitation Guidebook” that encapsulates the “vision” of different communities for the future of the Pasig River. In their book, they enumerated six factors that they believe is essential to a “sustainable Pasig River development.”

• Local communities and their livelihood: A project can only be fully realized if the government understands what the people need.
• Environment: The rehabilitation of the Pasig River should not only center on a clean-up drive for the water system, but also ensure that there is a healthy ecosystem where animals, particularly fish and birds, can thrive.
• Transportation: There should be clear, concrete plans on how the waterway and its banks can be utilized for transportation. Access to bike lanes and ferry services must be open and expanded to all communities.
• Heritage and tourism: These two interconnected components point to the prominence of the Pasig River both as a heritage and tourist site. Proper utilization and promotion of historical structures built near the rivers such as the Intramuros and Fort Santiago situated inside it help revive interest in landmarks.
• Urban planning: The Pasig River stands at the heart of the busy metropolis, stringing together cities and bodies of water, including Laguna de Bay and Manila Bay. With strategic urban planning, Pasig River could better contribute to improves access, mobility, and connections throughout the metropolis.

– Adelainne Balbin/Rappler.com

Reviving Pasig River and developing it sustainably is among ways groups believe we can #MakeManilaLiveable.

‘Be The Good: Let’s Talk Liveability’ is a special series of conversations about improving quality of life in Metro Manila involving experts, activists, government officials, and ordinary people. If you want to learn more, check this page.

MANILA, Philippines – As Women’s Month comes to an end, Rappler’s community show Be The Good shines the spotlight on Filipino women community leaders making a mark in their respective fields.

Join Rappler head of community Pia Ranada in a special panel discussion with our guests:

• Anna Oposa, marine conservationist and co-founder of Save Philippine Seas
• Maureen Mata, advocate for persons with disability rights
• Karen Crisostomo, active transport advocate and co-founder of Bicycle Friendly Philippines

What do these three women on a mission have to say about dealing with unique challenges for women in their sectors? What is their advice for women or anyone who feels stuck, who want to pursue their passions but don’t know where to start or lack support?

Watch the episode on April 1 at 7 pm on this page, Rappler’s YouTube page, and other social media pages.

Be The Good is Rappler’s show about advocacies, campaigns, and issues faced by communities.

Check out previous episodes here:

• [Be The Good: Let’s Talk Liveability] PAREX and reimagining Pasig River
• Be The Good: Leo Laparan II on standing up for campus press freedom
• Be The Good: Sharon Cortez on forest schools, getting kids to go outdoors
• Be The Good: Nanie Guanlao and Carmela Bunyi on spreading community reading centers
• Be The Good: Robie Siy on creating streets for people
• Be The Good: Sabrina Gacad on helping victims of gender-based violence
• Be The Good: Cielo Magno on her call to abolish confidential funds

– Rappler.com

PALAWAN, Philippines – Since January 2024, an urban coastal barangay in Puerto Princesa has been conducting weekly coastal cleanup activities in an effort to rid its coastlines of plastic pollution.

“Ginawa na naming weekly para makita natin ‘yung impact ng ginagawang coastal cleanup. We have mobilized the coastal residents themselves at maganda ang ipinakita nilang active participation,” Lha Gallo, newly elected chair of Barangay Mandaragat said.

(We made it weekly so we could see the impact of the coastal cleanup operations. We have mobilized the coastal residents themselves, and they’ve shown good active participation.)

Their latest coastal cleanup activity was on Saturday, March 23. A few hundreds of its households are located in coastal zones that are within the coastal easement, an area supposedly for public recreation and a salvaged zone pursuant to the Philippine Water Code.

Since these families living in coastal households are considered informal settlers, the city government intends to relocate them to a housing project in Irawan, 15 kilometers from their present location.

Among those who actively participated in the activity aside from coastal residents were barangay officials both elected and appointed, tanod (village guards), purok officials, beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), barangay workers, and civic organizations based in their barangay.

In Purok Talisay alone, they collected 51 sacks of solid waste from underneath the coastline’s houses. This is equivalent to more than 400 kilos.

Since coastal clean-up activities are not funded by their barangays’ annual budget, officials relied mainly on donors like Kagawad (Councilor) Marife Diaz-Bumanlag who sponsored arroz caldo (porridge). Barangay Mandaragat has an annual budget of P23 million.

Mary Jane Magbanua is among the 4Ps beneficiaries who actively participated in the activity. She said that she is proud to be part of their coastlines’ eco warriors.

Former barangay chairman and now Kagawad Gerry Abad said that they will not stop cleaning their coastlines.

“Kahit linggo-linggo na ginagawa ang coastal cleanup ang mga basura ay nandiyan pa rin. Hindi pa rin nauubos ang solid waste at mga plastic sa dagat,” Abad said.

(Even if we do the coastal cleanup every week, there will always be garbage there. Solid waste doesn’t seem to run out, and neither does plastic in the ocean.)

Another initiative that they introduced is the Palit-Basura (Waste Exchange) program which started before the pandemic or sometime in 2018 during the term of Abad. This time, Gallo found the program important in getting rid of solid waste, and so she vowed to sustain it.

Championing solid waste management

Mandaragat is among the urban barangays in this city that have championed solid waste management.

Community Development Officer IV Mary Ann Joylle Madriñan of the city’s Environment and Natural Resources Office said that Mandaragat has been implementing various projects on solid waste management for more than 10 years.

Mandaragat also established 13 gulayan (vegetable gardens) so that biodegradable solid wastes will be directly transported by a barangay worker they call bio-man to these gulayan. This way, the solid waste from their barangay that will be collected by the City Solid Waste Management trucks are only residual wastes, like soiled plastic, thin films, sando bags and other single-use plastic packaging like sachets.

But what is interesting about this barangay is that they do not have wastebins on its streets and alleys. Rather they teach local residents to bring out their solid waste only when there’s waste collection.

In the entire Puerto Princesa, 180 to 200 tons of mixed wastes reach its sanitary landfill daily, a volume that city authorities fear might reached the facility’s maximum capacity. But with the impact Mandaragat is trying to achieve, they are hopeful that it will yield tangible results for the people and the environment. – Rappler.com

LEYTE, Philippines — At the Regional Tertiary School Press Conference (RTSPC-8) held from April 3 to 6 at the Visayas State University (VSU) in Baybay City, student journalists from 29 different colleges and universities were asked what key issues and concerns in Eastern Visayas require urgent government response and media attention. 

The students went on the Rappler Communities app to weigh in, sending their responses to the #FactsFirstPH chat room. Some of the responses were read out during the program by Rappler head of community Pia Ranada who moderated a workshop on how Rappler uses AI to build communities and crowdsource insights from the public. The workshop was held on April 3, the first day of the summit.

What were the pressing issues of Eastern Visayas, according to the students? Here is a summary.

Rutted roads lead to inconvenient and unsafe travels

Traversing bumpy roads is just another run-of-the-mill occurrence for the residents of Samar. 

From the municipality of Lope De Vega in the north, the capital of Catbalogan in the west, and the major road network of the Daang Maharlika Highway (or the Pan-Philippine Highway) linking Samar to Luzon and Mindanao, these freeways have become the subject of public clamor for years. 

In the #FactsFirstPH chat room, student journalist Diosdado Ompad had this to say about the roads in Samar.

Lorraine C., on the other hand, said that the journey through the main roads of Samar feels like a “roller coaster ride,” acknowledging the possibility of vehicular accidents. 

When Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) hit the areas of Leyte and Eastern Samar in 2013, the ruined conditions of all routes made it difficult for people past its borders to access the calamity-stricken provinces. Since then, recovery goals have been slow in progress, with the onslaught of rainstorms in the following years only aggravating the delay. Reports of poor project handling had also led citizens to pin the mismanagement to the higher-ups.

In Catbalogan, the locals are left with no choice but to endure its rough roads, reported Franco Nube.

For Florentino Mainit, the roads in Samar only ever get a “temporary fix” by dumping sand on them. They added that the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) seem to not take notice of the road problem.

In this Inquirer.net article in 2022, House Minority Leader Marcelio Libanan slammed DPWH over its inaction for the Maharlika Highway. 

The following year, DPWH’s Eastern Visayas Director Edgar Tabacon said in a Philippine News Agency report that their budget had a “big reduction of funds for road maintenance” since 2020, limiting its capacity to carry out necessary measures for the roads in Samar.

In April, a project for a damaged road in the 2nd congressional district of Samar only received a budget of P18.35 million—a far cry from the district’s P100 million maintenance fund it had before 2020. 

According to another Inquirer.net article, the national government launched another rehabilitation project for the Maharlika Highway. With a budget of at least P8 billion, the plan included road repair and bridge widening among others. DPWH sees no starting date for it just yet, but hopes to finish it before the end of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s term in 2028.

Environmental threats

Among the environmental issues reported were the mining operations in Homonhon Island in Eastern Samar and the halted Cancabato Bay causeway project in Tacloban City, Leyte.

The island of Homonhon, on the east side of the Leyte Gulf, holds historical significance as the first landing site of the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan in 1521. For decades, its mountains have been mined for nickel and chromite, with operations currently led by four corporations: Techiron Resources Inc., Emir Mineral Resources Corp., Global Min-net Resources Inc., and King Resources Mining.

In a 2021 report by the Philippine Center of Investigative Journalism (PCIJ), Techiron and Emir were issued a closure order in February 2017 by the late Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Gina Lopez, citing environmental violations in an extensive audit covering 26 other mining firms across the country.

But after staunch opposition by miners and the Commission on Appointments’ rejection of Lopez as Secretary in May 2017, several of the affected mining firms have resumed operations.

As per reports from PinoyWeekly and Rappler, environmental advocates and parish groups have been opposing the mining for years. For them, the operations have drastically lowered the quality of life in the area, affecting the residents’ drinking supply, health, and farming and fishing livelihoods.

Mayor Annaliza Gonzales-Kwan of the municipality of Guiuan, of which Homonhon is a part of, nevertheless supports the operations—in an Inquirer.net article, Gonzales-Kwan emphasized that the mining brought employment to 2,300 residents.

Meanwhile, in Tacloban City, locals and advocates remain wary amid the DPWH’s halted P3.46 billion-causeway project over Cancabato Bay.

In 2023, Tacloban’s city council had passed a resolution to put the project on hold, citing lack of environmental studies by the DPWH on the impacts of reclaiming a protected mariculture zone.

The proposed four-lane, 2.56-kilometer project alleges ease-of-access from the Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport to the city center, as well as protection from storm surges. 

But environmentalist Roque Regis of Barangay 83 (“Paraiso”) said that the mangroves surrounding their area already protect them from storm surges, including the 2013 supertyphoon Yolanda, which the causeway would threaten to destroy.

Student journalist Clarenze also emphasized that Cancabato Bay is a “breeding ground” for fish. Should the causeway be built, roughly half of the registered 3,649 fisherfolk would have their livelihoods affected.

Tying Homonhon and Concabato together, student Mark Phel Trota said that these sites are “exploited for [the] self-interest of the people in power,” lamenting how profits are prioritized over environmental repercussions.

Spikes in political killings, rising cases of suicide

Behind the political climate in Eastern Visayas lies a trail of blood with no seeming end. 

In the 3rd district of Leyte alone, locals have voiced out concern and apprehension over the violence that ensued in February this year. 

The latest, as per a Philstar.com report, was the slaying of three barangay officials in Barangay Daja Diot: chairman Elizalde Tabon, watchman Rusty Salazar, and councilor Paulo Al Mindero, all found dead on the spot. 

The Leyte Samar Daily Express reported that on top of four attacks against village officials that same month, alarmed mayors in the third district reinforced their police forces in their respective towns. 

Student journalist Jerry Yubal, who cited Inquirer.net’s article on the December 2022 ambush killing of Juanita Veloso, sister of San Isidro’s municipal mayor Remedio Veloso, expressed fear over the upcoming Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (BSKE) elections. 

“Since we will have another election this 2025, I fear that the political conflict in the district might become more bloody,” he said on the Rappler app.

Some of the student journalists also touched upon the suicide cases among teenagers in Leyte. 

Gem cited a suicide case from the town of Isabel. Username Yanxi_26, who had the same concern also highlighted the crucial role of journalists in shedding light on this issue.

Several other concerns were addressed in the open forum: inadequate funding and support for education and health services, incompetent and abusive public servants, election-related injustices, disinformation campaigns, animal cruelty, and LGBTIAQ+ discrimination. 

With past local coverage efforts met with red-tagging and arrests, the student journalists of Eastern Visayas call for press freedom, protection, and coordinated action between government and community in addressing these long-sidelined issues. – Rappler.com

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Adelainne Balbin is a Rappler intern from the Lyceum of the Philippines University Manila. She is currently in her fourth year in college taking up Bachelor of Arts in Journalism.

Mika Soria is a Rappler volunteer from the University of the Philippines Diliman. As a soon-to-be graduate from the Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing program, they are interested in exploring writing in the field of journalism–most especially when it comes to stories centered on community and nation-building.