Green groups give GMA failing grade

As President Arroyo is set to deliver her 8th State of the Nation Address (SONA) this afternoon, various environmental organizations have given her a failing grade on her “ecological performance.”

Groups belonging to the Green Convergence for Safe Food, Healthy Environment, and Sustainable Economy unanimously flunked the President in her administration efforts to protect the country’s environment and natural resources.

Angelina Galang of Green Convergence said Mrs. Arroyo was a failure in terms of protecting the environment and natural resources.

The group slammed Mrs. Arroyo on her policy of promoting mining, genetically modified organisms (GMOs), chemical intensive farming, toxic imports, and polluting energy technologies.

The group also criticized the government for its weak enforcements of laws against illegal logging and regulating the transport and use of toxic chemicals.

Green Convergence led other environment groups in calling for the President to review her administration’s framework to become “more pro-people and pro-environment.”

“With a population expected to balloon to 150 million from the current 83.1 million in 2050, many are concerned that the country will not be able to feed the additional 50 million people using the Philippines’ natural resources,” the group pointed out.

Church leaders, on the other hand, also urged Mrs. Arroyo to clarify the government’s stand on the population control issue.

Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) Episcopal Commission on Family and Life chairman Archbishop Paciano Aniceto said Mrs. Arroyo should mention in her SONA her stand on population control.

Aniceto noted the President had “promised” to stand up for natural family planning methods as against the reproductive health program being proposed by some legislators.

Mrs. Arroyo recently had a meeting with the CBCP to hear their position on the reproductive health bills pending in Congress.

The President said she has asked the congressional leaders to meet the CBCP and discuss the measure.

For his part, CBCP president Archbishop Angel Lagdameo said the bishops are hopeful that the lawmakers will “rethink” their position in supporting “anti-life” bills.

Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz, for his part, urged Mrs. Arroyo to spell out her programs for agrarian development in her SONA.

Cruz also urged the government against giving subsidies to the poor, which he described as a desperate measure.

Cruz stressed the government should focus on addressing agrarian issues since the Philippines is an agricultural country. – With Sandy Araneta, Jose Rodel Clapano, Charlie Lagasca