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.

Laparan, a journalism lecturer at the university and a working journalist, is our guest in the latest episode of Be The Good, Rappler’s show about people on a mission.

Rappler community lead Pia Ranada asks Laparan about how the takedown of the photo unfolded behind-the-scenes, what he thinks of the Campus Journalism Act of 1991, and why he felt it was important to stand up for UST students’ freedoms. (READ: Thomasian student activist receives show-cause letter from UST administration)

Rappler digital communications specialist Tricia Kahanap provides an overview of how the online conversations about the TomasinoWeb photo takedown have developed and how far the issue has gotten both online and offline, among students, journalists, and beyond.

Catch the interview at 7 pm on Friday, February 23, on this page and on Rappler’s YouTube and Facebook pages. – Rappler.com

Be The Good is Rappler’s community show featuring advocacies and causes. We help you get smarter about movements to support. We amplify changemakers in communities and get critical about the solutions and causes they push for.

Watch other Be The Good episodes:

• 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

The outcry from over 800 members of the Ateneo de Manila University community prompted the university administration to suspend its plan to upgrade the North Carpark inside the campus. Both students and faculty raised concerns about the project’s impacts on the environment and quality of life inside the campus.

Similarly, amid the Israel-Palestine conflict, various student-led organizations mobilized to support Palestinian refugees sheltering at the University of the Philippines Diliman campus.

These are just some of the movements that underscore the proactive stance of today’s youth in confronting pressing societal issues.

What are some of the lessons and insights that we can learn from these initiatives? How can students and youth extend their impact within and beyond the campus borders to address broader societal issues? How can they navigate through challenges such as resistance or pushback against their efforts to address these issues? How can student journalists best cover these movements for greater impact?

To answer these questions and more, Rappler’s civic engagement arm MovePH will be hosting an onground event called “By the youth, for the youth: How to take action on issues within and beyond the campus.” This is happening on Saturday, February 17, at 1 pm at the Rappler office. 

This on-ground event includes a panel discussion with various youth leaders, followed by a Q&A portion and a breakout session aimed at providing attendees a space to share best practices with peers, and collaborate with like-minded people, from campuses and spaces beyond theirs.

Highlights of the event will be available exclusively in Rappler’s app, Rappler Communities. You’ll see these highlights by downloading the app, tapping the Communities tab below, then joining the #FactsFirstPH chat room.

This combination of in-person and virtual chats is a platform where people can speak, ask, listen, and act with a community as invested in progress as you are, as facilitated by our new app . 

Want to attend? Here’s how!

Interested students, youth leaders, student journalists, young professionals, and members of youth or school organizations are invited to join this free event. Click the button below to register or fill up this form on or before Wednesday, February 14. Slots are limited!

An email will be sent to confirm reservation to the on-ground event. 

Ahead of the event, we encourage you to download the Rappler Communities app as we will be utilizing it during the event. It is available on both iOS and Android.

For questions about the event, email move.ph@rappler.com – Rappler.com 

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Among the ways that Filipinos can help out is to report hazards they observe in their communities during disasters. One platform aims to help facilitate that by allowing individuals and authorities to report and map earthquake, typhoon, volcanic eruption, and flooding events in their communities in real-time.

Initiated by Indonesia-based non-profit organization Yayasan Peta Bencana (Disaster Map Foundation), multi-hazard platform MapaKalamidad.ph offers people a chance to view, share, and map real-time disaster events in their communities. In doing so, residents, first responders, and government agencies can use the map to make decisions about safety, coordination and resource management. Among the users of the platform are official agency partners of MapaKalamidad.ph such as the Office of Civil Defense, which monitor and submit verified reports on the map.

The platform is one of many available in the Philippines that aims to facilitate data-driven responses to disasters. Among these options are Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology’s HazardHunterPH and GeoMapperPH, as well as Rappler’s Project Agos.

“When [authorities] see the reports coming in from residents, they’re able to identify exactly which locations need help and exactly how severe it is, so they can decide how to best allocate their resources because we know that resources are limited, staffing is often tight,” said Nashin Kelash Mahtani, director of Yayasan Peta Bencan.

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MapaKalamidad.ph first started out as a flood-mapping platform covering only Quezon City and Pampanga in 2020, later going nationwide in 2022. By January 29, it has since expanded to allow users to report different hazards, such as earthquakes, typhoons, volcanic eruptions, and flooding events.

“During disasters, people are sharing information with each other on social media, not only sharing memes but also warning each other of blocked roads, of community efforts for response. This represents a vital information source for us to tap into….This is a method of crowdsourcing that allows us to reach millions of users every day, collecting information from street level, from people who know the situation best because they’re experiencing the disaster,” said Nashin Kelash Mahtani, Director of Yayasan Peta Bencana.

“We have seen that when disaster response professionals and residents work together, and when residential knowledge about local conditions is integrated into disaster response efforts, communities can convert the noise of social media into inclusive, life-saving, humanitarian infrastructure,” she added.

How to report?

During disasters, people can report real-time hazards in their communities for free and anonymously on MapaKalamidad.ph using social media or its web-based platform.

According to MapaKalamidad.ph, here are some of the ways you can submit hazard reports in the platform:

• Facebook message Mapakalamidad.ph
  • Message @mapakalamidad on Facebook Messenger
  • Click on “Get Started” and select the disaster to report
  • MapaKalamidad.ph’s bot will send you a one-time link to submit a disaster report
  • Open the link and follow the instructions to input hazard location, upload photo, and description.
  • MapaKalamidad.ph’s bot will send you a reply with a link to your report
• Telegram message @kalamidadbot 
  • Search for and message @kalamidadbot on Telegram
  • Click on “/start” and select the disaster to report
  • MapaKalamidad.ph’s bot will send you a one-time link to submit a disaster report
  • Open the link and follow the instructions to input hazard location, upload photo, and description.
  • MapaKalamidad.ph’s bot will send you a reply with a link to your report
• Report on the website
  • Open MapaKalamidad.ph on your browser
  • Click the Report icon on the upper left of the page and select the disaster to report
  • Click the Report Disaster button and follow the instructions to input hazard location, upload photo and description

People may view the map on the MapaKalamidad.ph website. 

As the submissions appear real-time, people may also flag if there are inaccurate reports on the platform to alert administrators. Mahtani added that since they are working in collaboration with the Office of Civil Defense, the agency can confirm reports with their on-ground staff and flag these if needed.

Mahtani shared that MapaKalamidad.ph was intentionally designed to be web-based, and not an application. By allowing people to file reports using select social media platforms, MapaKalamidad.ph gets to meet people where they are already at, and there doesn’t need to have heavy training to use the platform.

“Mapakalamidad is also designed to be extremely data-lite and usable on a mobile phone, so it’s easy to access even for agencies with limited technical funding, and even if the connection is poor…. We’re really focused on what [are] the crucial types of data that people need to make decisions about response at a community level. We’re very selective about the type of information coming [in], but we welcome other agencies to use that as a layer of data in their existing data sets,” said Mahtani.

They’re working on integrating SMS services, radio services, as well as other means of reporting to allow other people to file reports even without internet connection, according to Mahtani.

Since the project is fully open source, interested organizations may collaborate with MapaKalamidad.ph for data integration and extraction in case they may want to use the information to complement existing maps and efforts. For more details, you may refer to this.

The development of MapaKalamidad.ph’s multi-hazard platform was made with the support of the Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance of US Agency for International Development, the Office of Civil Defense, Mapbox, and Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team. – Rappler.com

Let’s continue the conversation! Join the Climate Change chat room of Rappler Communities to be part of conversations about how we can mitigate the effects of climate change through sustainable efforts. The application is available on iOS and Android.

Do you know of other interesting campaigns or efforts that aim to solve issues in your community? Tell us more about them by emailing move.ph@rappler.com.

Ateneo faculty members Remmon Barbaza, Tony La Viña, Arjan Aguirre, and Carmel Abao said this to concerned faculty and student members during a “community kuwentuhan” session on Friday, January 12, where they discussed future action points on the controversial project as students return to campus on Monday, January 15.

“Mahalaga ‘yung ating pakikisangkot kasi nakikinig ang administrasyon kasi natigil [ang proyekto]…. Bukas naman sa pag-uusap pero ‘di natin alam kung hanggang saan ‘yung mangyayari,” Barbaza said.

(Our involvement is important as the administration listened – they suspended the project. They are open to dialogue, but we are not sure until where these dialogues would happen.) 

Abao said that the suspension of the project can be an opportunity for students, faculty, and staff to engage with each other on the issue and find common ground. 

“At the end of the day…developing something within the campus, developing our land resources, [is] not a management prerogative. It’s a community decision,” she added.

The North Carpark renovation project aims to increase parking slots from 161 to 217 and promises to provide “better pedestrian access, covered walkways, improved drainage, better traffic flow, and a rest area for drivers.” 

More than 1,200 people have signed an open letter calling for the Ateneo administration to stop the project as of Wednesday, January 10. The plan was suspended a day later, on January 11.

Ateneo plans to hold an open forum on January 31 to discuss the project.

“We hope it will be an opportunity for the stakeholders to share their opinions. The administrators will be there to listen to people,” said Leland dela Cruz, Ateneo assistant vice president for social development, environment, and community engagement. 

Dela Cruz added that administration officials are willing to listen to possible options and ideas on the project ahead of the January 31 forum. 

‘Lack of transparency‘

During the community session, students and faculty cited the university administration’s lack of transparency on the project.

“Unless they disclose where the finances are coming from, it’s our tuition being used to bulldoze those trees,” said SPARK-Katipunan’s Miguel Angelo Basuel.

Physics professor Joel Maquiling questioned university administrators on how they came up with the decision to remove 82 trees. 

According to an announcement from the Ateneo student government, the Sanggunian ng mga Mag-aaral ng mga Paaralang Loyola ng Ateneo de Manila, the Ateneo Institute of Sustainability had been consulted by the Office of the Vice President of Administration on the matter. 

“If you want to use the invasive trees as an issue or as an excuse for it, it should be backed up by good science…. Who was in the committee that sat to approve the removal of these trees?” Maquiling said in a mix of English and Filipino. 

Following the discussion, faculty leaders and student representatives discussed possible action points to sustain their calls to stop the car park renovation project before the January 31 forum. 

Interdisciplinary studies associate professor Jean Tan suggested “no car to school days” to gather data on mobility and the use of private vehicles in the Ateneo campus.

The Sanggunian’s School of Social Sciences representative Emmanuel Frodo Uranza said that the student government plans to release surveys to obtain insights of the Ateneo community on the issues, but sought help from the Ateneo community to support concerned organizations by amplifying their efforts.

Organizers agreed to prepare a position paper to be given to university administrators, as well as to wear blue armbands and tie trees around the North Carpark area with blue ribbons in the coming weeks to sustain the conversation on the issue. – Rappler.com

When a new year enters, typical resolutions include healthier choices (read: hitting the gym regularly or quitting smoking) and greener, more eco-friendly ways of doing chores.

Some common items in one’s New Year’s resolutions list: I will bring my own reusable bag and containers when doing groceries. I will pack metal straws, utensils, and tumblers wherever I go. I will start eating less meat and more plants.

While individual consumption choices encourage awareness that could eventually affect behavioral change, reversing climate impacts requires a reimagining of how whole communities work.

This realization is not lost on those who had switched to greener lifestyles only to find out the plastic crisis – and the problem of the burning world, for that matter – did not cease to exist.

Froilan Grate, executive director of the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, said in a The Green Report episode last July that the fixation on individual capacity was caused by the prevalent messaging of blaming people for pollution and environmental degradation – say, a plastic straw stuck in a turtle’s nostril.

Grate said making a lifestyle out of individual green choices doesn’t mean overlooking the systemic problem of pollution and the climate crisis.

“This is not a replacement. This is not to excuse the system…and the real culprits: the corporations,” he explained.

But there are things people can do. After all, Grate said, more people are taking matters into their own hands. “What’s good in our generation now is we’re able to take ownership of the things that are important to us and do stuff that are necessary.”

Play Video

So, what can we do?

What are some of these initiatives people can take to create greener communities?

Start a community garden. In a green community, food is grown locally to cut down on food miles and greenhouse gas emissions, ensure fresh produce within the vicinity, and reduce plastic packaging materials.

Louie Gutierrez, founder of the nongovernmental organization Urban Farmers PH, started a community garden during the pandemic in an empty lot inside their village in Makati City.

Since then, Gutierrez has started a 1,500-square-meter community garden in another empty lot in Bonifacio Global City. Among its produce are radishes, lettuce, pako, eggplant, tomato, herbs, bananas, and malunggay.

People can visit the garden, pick the vegetables they need, and buy them. Gutierrez told Rappler in an interview that having people buy their vegetables directly from the gardens makes people more appreciative and mindful of the food they consume.

They’ve also held workshops to encourage more people to start community gardens in their area.

“It’s not commercially viable,” Gutierrez said, “but it feeds communities.”

To close the loop, they turn waste to vermicompost.

A rooftop garden is another option in urban areas with towers and high-rise buildings. This can be done by companies thinking of ways to utilize idle spaces.

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Join or start an active mobility community. A thriving community of active transport users is always a good sign. It signifies a neighborhood or a village that thinks beyond the car-centric mindset that afflicts many polluted cities.

It also means an area prioritizes safety.

Geri Amarnani, one of the founders of the Pinay Bike Commuter Facebook group, recommended joining group rides for those who are only beginning to try bike commuting.

For Amarnani, joining communities would lessen the fear of going out on two wheels in chaotic Metro Manila. These spaces can also provide access to tips and possible routes. Along the way, one can meet new friends and like-minded people.

“When you see that there are a lot of you biking, it will really boost your confidence,” Amarnani said in a previous The Green Report episode.

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Beyond learning to weave through traffic safely, engaging with active mobility groups could easily turn into an advocacy to improve the bike infrastructure on roads and major highways.

After discovering the wonders of riding on two wheels from one point to another, you would want others to experience the same – of course, under friendlier and safer conditions.

More bikers on the road would induce demand for better infrastructure. Better infrastructure would encourage more bikers on the road.

After the cycling boom, many local government units backpedaled on the bike lanes they installed during the pandemic. But mobility groups that sprouted during the same period survived and continue to promote active transport culture.

Amarnani, who is a mother herself, noted that bike commuting has given her more time to take care of her children. In plans laid out for a greener economy, taking care of family and others is considered low-carbon work.

According to the Australian-based United Workers Union, for something to be considered low-carbon work, it must be “non-extractive and vital for having a healthy and functioning society.”

“Do you think that a painted bike lane would convince a mother to bike in EDSA? Of course not. It would take a lot of guts,” Amarnani said in a mix of English and Filipino.

“How many hours were wasted that should have been used to take care of children…parents, family?”

Advocate for car-free spaces. Car-free spaces can reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, as well as benefit public health. Right now, these are implemented in Emerald Avenue in Pasig City and Ayala Avenue in Makati City.

In Baguio City, the famous Session Road is closed every Sunday. When closed, the uphill road becomes a space for dancing children and locals making chalk art. Once a week, residents and tourists alike can enjoy strolling up and down Session Road without the threat of public vehicles.

Because cars are not allowed, people who want to visit these spaces could bike or walk to the area. In Emerald Avenue, volunteers hold bike lessons for those who want to learn.

These are called people’s streets. Here’s how your community can push for the pedestrianization of select streets in your neighborhood.

Not mutually exclusive

John Leo Algo, national coordinator of the coalition Aksyon Klima, said that a stronger emphasis on collective action pushes the question of “how individuals should work together to raise ambition and action, not in isolation.”

But Algo was also quick to clarify that individual lifestyle choices to be green and community initiatives are not mutually exclusive.

“You can’t have collective action without individual awareness,” he told Rappler in a message. “Not to mention how you’d get people to relate to or care about green issues.” – Rappler.com

If you want to share your green resolutions for the new year – both for yourself and your community – download the Rappler Communities app. You can also access the web version of the app here.

Join the climate change channel to speak with editors, reporters, and people concerned with the environment and the climate crisis.

Groups such as Bayan, Anakbayan, and PISTON said that based on current numbers, around 30,000 jeepneys could be off the road by 2024, leading to an “imminent transport crisis.”

Artist and creatives groups such as PURVEYR, Kwago, Freelance Writers Guild of the Philippines, Makò Micro-Press, Mayday Multimedia, Tarantadong Kalbo, Didi Nyunyu, and Dan Matutina formed an Ad Hoc Coalition of Filipino Creatives to Save The Jeepney.

They also called on the government to reconsider the December 31 PUV consolidation deadline and reassess the PUVMP as it “clearly prioritizes the private sector over public interests.” It also threatens job loss of more than 200,000 drivers and operators, they said. (READ: Jeepney drivers fight Marcos’ ‘unjust’ modernization push as deadline nears)

To gather support from Filipinos against the jeepney phaseout, groups initiated a petition-signing campaign and an online exhibition, among others. These virtual calls came in conjunction with the two-week strike organized by transport groups. 

What’s the controversy surrounding PUVMP?

The PUVMP is a government program that intends to replace traditional jeepneys with modern ones that are supposed to release less carbon emissions, gases that contribute to climate change.

This is a laudable goal, but several groups, including jeepney operators and drivers, have criticized the implementation of the program. They say the cost of the new jeepneys is too steep, with too little financial support for jeepney drivers and operators.

The December 31 deadline currently being opposed by these groups is the deadline for jeepney drivers and operators to form cooperatives, the only way they can have access to certain loans that will allow them to buy the modern jeepneys.

To learn more about the PUVMP and why some commuter groups are critical of it, read this piece by mobility advocate Toix Cerna, who has studied the program since it began in 2017 under the Duterte administration.

Here’s how you can take part in these initiatives: 

Sign online petitions

Ad Hoc Coalition of Filipino Creatives to Save The Jeepney initiated a petition on Friday, December 29, to cancel the year-end deadline for franchise consolidation of jeepneys, and give more time and support for jeepney drivers and operators to be able to comply.

They argued that while the program intends to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector, any solution to the climate problem should be inclusive and just to various sectors of society. 

The coalition believes the modernization program forces transport workers into deep debt and makes commuters bear the brunt of the costs of energy transition.

This petition and solidarity letter is expected to be sent to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Saturday, December 30. 

Meanwhile, the National Union of Students of The Philippines (NUSP) also launched a change.org petition to support PUV drivers and operators in their fight against the franchise consolidation. As of writing, the petition already gathered more than 13,000 signatures. This petition is also being amplified by Kabataan Partylist and UP High School Iloilo (UPHSI) Goldies.

COMMUTER'S MANIFESTO AGAINST PUV MODERNIZATION PROGRAM

Sign the petition here: https://t.co/fCbCesXCds.

Spread the word! Repost this manifesto in your own feeds & timelines! #CommutersGiveBack and stand with the tsuper! #NoToJeepneyPhaseout#NoToPUVModernizationProgram pic.twitter.com/rBEezMzepo

— Kabataan Partylist (@KabataanPL) December 27, 2023

Join the online art exhibit

The same coalition also urged the public to submit an original poster that would help amplify and spread the call to junk the PUV modernization program deadline for franchise consolidation.

According to the group, these posters will be downloadable for free use and distribution for campaign and educational purposes only. Old and new art works are also welcome. 

To join the online exhibit, sign the petition here and submit your art work using the email subject “HINDI PEPRENO EXHIBIT 2023” to kwagopublishinglab@protonmail.com. More details here. 

Another way to support the online art exhibit is to download and print the posters made by artists and post it online or offline, which can be found here. 

‘Design Your Own Jeepney’ 

Artist group Panday Sining launched the “Design your own jeepney” campaign, where commuters can download its customizable jeepney artwork, design and color it, and post on social media. 

This campaign is done to not only to show support to PUV drivers and operators but to promote the rich Philippine culture and historical significance of jeepneys.

Download and customize the jeepney artwork here. 

Do you know of any other similar initiatives? What do you think of the PUV modernization program? Email them to move.ph@rappler.com. – Rappler.com 

In an announcement published a day before the project’s implementation, ADMU’s Office of the Vice President for Administration announced that the university will be upgrading the North Car Park in the Loyola Heights campus from December 21 to March 2.

The renovation project aims to increase parking slots from 161 to 217. It also aims to put in place better pedestrian access, covered walkways, improved drainage, better traffic flow, and a rest area for drivers. 

To make this happen, at least 82 trees, mostly invasive mahogany and gimelina species, will be removed and repurposed into benches and trellis fences for the project. Following regulations of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the university will replace each tree it removes with 50 seedlings, which will be planted inside and outside the Ateneo campus.

‘Car-centric project’

In an open letter to ADMU president Father Roberto “Bobby” Yap, SJ, hundreds of students, alumni, faculty, and employees of ADMU called on the university to suspend the project and conduct consultations where members of the community will be “given the chance to give substantial inputs rather than simply being presented with an approved policy.” 

As of 4 pm on Wednesday, December 27, the letter has gotten more than 800 signatories.

“Instead of promoting better and more people-centric mobility, the decision to renovate and upgrade the said facility sends the message that the university prioritizes the use of cars on campus…. We cannot continue preaching sustainability and climate justice while we continue to undertake projects that only contribute to the worsening of the problem,” the open letter said.

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Other organizations and members of the Ateneo community have also opposed the project for its “counterproductive approach” in addressing environmental sustainability and mobility issues in campus.

Blue Mobility, along with 19 other organizations such as Council of Organizations of the Ateneo – Manila and publications HEIGHTS and Matanglawin Ateneo, pointed out that it is “hypocritical for the University to pride itself as among the most environmentally sustainable higher education institutions in the country if it enables car-centricity as the norm.”

ADMU recently ranked highest in the Philippines and 38th out of 1,400 universities globally in environment sustainability, according to the 2024 QS Sustainability Rankings.

“Removing invasive trees is indeed necessary to protect and enrich our campus biodiversity. However, it is highly counterintuitive to replace them with parking slots…. Not only does it fail to alleviate traffic congestion in the long run by inducing demand for cars, it also adds to various environmental challenges we currently face: warm urban temperatures, increased greenhouse gas emissions, and more,” said Blue Mobility and 19 other organizations in their letter.

Call for consultations with community

Aside from people’s concerns with the project’s environmental impact, many have urged the administration to involve the community in the decision-making process.

The student government of ADMU earlier shared that a meeting was conducted between the Office of the Vice President for Administration and student representatives on December 11. 

However, political organization The Ateneo Assembly pointed out that this left little opportunity to make significant contributions to the project given the December 21 start date. 

“Although closed-door consultations were conducted, these by themselves are insufficient to accurately capture the sentiments of the constituents of the University…. Projects like this must always be a result of democratic decision-making between the administration, faculty, students, teaching and non-teaching staff, and other stakeholders,” Blue Mobility added in its letter.

Groups that have spoken up have also suggested other alternatives that the administration can explore aside from renovating the car park. Blue Mobility, for instance, called on the administration to utilize its influence in “advocating for sustainable mobility options beyond the campus.”

The more than 800-strong open letter from the Ateneo community also advocated for the creation of more green spaces, especially in campus.

“We understand that some of these trees are invasive and damaging to the environment. If they are to be removed, the space to be vacated should be planted with more native trees. Instead of merely cutting other non-invasive trees, innovative means, such as earth-balling, should be used. Our call is clear, rather than increasing parking spaces, we need more green spaces where our community can congregate,” signatories of the more than 800-strong open letter said.

Several members of the Ateneo community also made their stand clear as they led a protest action near the renovation site on Wednesday, December 27. In a live coverage of The GUIDON, protesters were assured by security that there will be no cutting of trees that day. Still, protesters tied blue ribbons around tree trunks at the North Car Park.

ADMU’s student government has also been gathering feedback from students regarding the ongoing renovation project in their discussion thread, which you may access here. – Rappler.com

Getting communities involved in journalism was the focus of an online session held on Friday, December 8 — the last in a learning series conducted by #FactsFirstPH coalition through Rappler’s civic engagement arm MovePH. 

The session featured more than 140 student journalists, student leaders, teachers, government workers in different parts of the Philippines such as Cavite, Davao, Metro Manila, Nueva Ecija, Tagbiliran City, and Bacolod City among others.

During the session, Rappler’s community lead Pia Ranada shared her experience working with accessibility and inclusive mobility groups for her in-depth report on the accessibility of Metro Manila’s trains. 

Rappler, with the help of accessibility group Kasali Tayo and inclusive mobility group Move As One Coalition, conducted an accessibility walkthrough in all 46 of the megacity’s train stations – LRT-1, LRT-2, and MRT-3. This coverage subsequently led to inclusive mobility talks in Congress. 

“Because we involved the groups very early on [this coverage], the credibility of our report was enhanced since it was not only us, journalists, who were there to investigate the train stations but also the PWD (People with Disabilities) groups and commuter groups that we worked with who experienced firsthand these types of issues related to the accessibility of Metro Manila’s trains,” said Ranada. 

She said journalists and communities don’t have to exist in silos; they can be collaborators in amplifying community voices and issues. Journalists can also consider practicing solutions journalism when they work on capturing the issues they observe during their coverage. This helps depict people and communities in a more complex way, showcasing that these communities are more than the problems they face.

“A lot of people see [journalism] as bad news all the time…but solutions journalism is about ideas…. It refuses to paint communities as made up only of problems. It shows that they’re also part of the solution, that they’re actually agents of change,” Ranada said in a mix of English and Filipino.

“If done right, it builds trust between journalists and communities and it makes people feel that they can do something, that not everything is all doom and gloom,” she added.

Freelance journalist Ted Aldwin Ong of the Iloilo Media People’s Council said that “when journalists and communities work together, we gain access to different narratives that carry truths, translate truths into compelling stories that inspire and offer solutions.” 

Ranada also shared that when communities collaborate with journalists, it promotes accountability. This can help improve how people respond to problems and hold accountable powerful players in society.

Ong added that journalists collaborating with communities is not a new concept but an enduring practice that has long been done in the profession, whether they are a campus journalist or a practicing professional. 

He stated that “upholding this practice led to an improved perception of communities where they are no longer portrayed as mere consumers of news but as agents of change; they are now seen as actors that play a powerful role in a participatory democracy.” 

How communities can help amplify issues in their area

Communities play a vital role in amplifying issues within their localities, especially within secluded areas and provinces the media could not reach. 

One way Filipinos can help amplify issues in their area is by voicing out the problems in their community and working with journalists to make noise about these issues. 

According to Ong, “voicing out problems paves way for productive discussions where stakeholders and involved members can come together to develop responses tailored to the problems raised and uncover not only wrongdoings but also the good practices that are doable and realistic in responding to the problems.”  

Ong also shared more ways on how Filipinos can play a bigger role in drive change within their communities: 

• By being an active actor in our community; 
• Initiating community conversations to amplify voices and raise issues;
• Establishing links with other sectors, players and stakeholders;
• Organizing groups and alliances to strengthen advocacies.

Ong explained that employing these methods compels citizens to become more conscious and aware of the issues happening within their communities. This heightened awareness can, in turn, drive them to engage actively and work together in promoting positive change for the betterment of their community. 

This can help people gain access to verified information, especially given the spread of propaganda and disinformation across social media platforms. This has become increasingly difficult, as more and more people are tuning out of news.

“News consumers have started tuning out of the news because of its negative and hopeless tones…. This is why civic engagement is important now more than ever because it shows people that amidst all their challenges and despair, there is hope, and journalism exists, not only to report tragic news, but to deliver news that offers hope and presents solutions,” Ranada stated.

The December 8 community learning session on civic engagement and participation is the final session of the five-part training series on responsible digital citizenship by #FactsFirstPH through Rappler’s civic engagement arm MovePH. – Rappler.com

Nohraine Gaddi is a volunteer at Rappler. She graduated from the United World College – Robert Bosch College, where she completed the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program. She is currently taking a gap year to explore her interests in journalism and human rights before pursuing higher education.

Bae Rose Undag, a social welfare development worker for indigenous peoples (IP) in Cagayan de Oro City, emphasized the importance of respecting IP rights.

“This is their life – land [and] nature. How will they govern if this is gone?” she said on Friday, November 24, in a #FactsFirstPH forum organized by Rappler, Xavier University, and other coalition partners at Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan.

The forum included a closed-door briefing about Rappler’s investigative report series, The Kusiong Story Project, that details the governance and political failures that led to the deaths of at least 27 Teduray from landslides in Maguindanao del Norte in October 2022.

The Teduray were caught in the fatal landslides after they were forcefully displaced from their ancestral lands.

Undag, alongside Easter Canoy, head of the Kitanglad Integrated NGOs, said that unauthorized encroachment on ancestral lands not only disregards the rights of IPs but also disrespects the spirits believed to inhabit the area.

“That’s why we don’t want anyone to enter [IP areas] without free, prior, and informed consent, because it’s not just humans you might harm, but spirits as well,” Undag stressed.

Canoy also pointed out that due to Western influence on how land and communities are divided and organized, the culture and beliefs of the natives are being trampled upon.

“You can imagine how a colonial government with Western knowledge tries to rearrange our society to its pleasure and desecrate sacred domains which are the cathedral of indigenous people,” Canoy said.

She underscored the deficiency in Philippine society’s understanding of indigenous knowledge, citing the Kitanglad mountain range in Bukidnon as an example.

This mountain range is home to the tribes of Bukidnon, Higaonon, and Talaandig. Canoy, who is an anthropologist, was able to map more than 70 sacred zones, with more yet to be discovered.

Among the IP communities that were displaced because of politics and lack of cultural sensitivity is the Teduray in Mindanao.

From the coastlines of the village, they were relocated to the foothills of Mount Minandar in Maguindanao del Norte to give way to some private resorts, one of of them owned by a political family.

This is despite the Teduray belief that villages must not be established at the foot of the mountain because it is a passageway of the mëginalëw (spirits) from the supernatural world to the earth, and vice versa. If unavoidable, rituals must be performed out of respect before occupation.

The relocation of the Teduray was met with tragedy. At least 27 Teduray – mostly children – were buried in mud after fatal landslides triggered by Severe Tropical Storm Paeng hit them in October 2022. 

From the IP perspective, the tragedy happened because the spirits were angered by the houses and the peoples’ noises that disturbed them, explained the Timuay Justice and Governance, a traditional leadership and political structure of the Teduray and Lambangian tribe.

“There’s so much of a space wherein the cultural solution has always been waiting for us: a culture-sensitive government,” Canoy said.

Finding solutions together

The November 24 briefing by Rappler journalists behind the Kusiong Story Project was attended by 36 participants from various groups such as IP rights groups, local government, academe, students, church, and local media.

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On Wednesday, November 29, Rappler hosted another briefing, this time virtual, for a broader mix of groups interested in the Kusiong tragedy and possible solutions. The forum tackled gaps in hazard and risk assessments in the Bangsamoro region, challenges facing the passage of an inclusive and representative non-Moro IP code, and accountability for those who violate IP rights.

Among those present were international and local development groups, IP rights advocacy groups, disaster resilience experts, media, members of the academe and IP groups, Bangsamoro government officials.

Both briefings were organized by Rappler’s Community team as part of efforts to link journalism to policy makers and affected groups for impact. The goal is to ensure that in-depth journalistic work like the Kusiong Story Project catalyzes important policy discussions and action towards concrete solutions for communities left behind. – Rappler.com