Rara Ada: “Being a climate activist in the Philippines is extremely dangerous.”
November 21 2024
5 minutes
Countless neighborhoods reduced to rubble. Thousands of people forced to flee their homes. Destroyed lives, scarred for life. Rara Ada's fight is deeply rooted in her own experiences with the disastrous consequences of typhoons in the Philippines. Today she is one of the voices behind PMCJ, a partner organization of 11.11.11 who fights for climate justice.
We spoke to Rara about the challenges and successes of her activism, the demands she's putting on the table at COP29, and why young people in Belgium shouldn't wait to take action.
What inspired you to become a climate activist?
“I started my climate activism when I was in university. In 2014, PMCJ visited my school and organized a discussion on climate change and its impact on the Philippines. As someone who understands the power of had experienced typhoons up close, I immediately felt a strong connection. That moment inspired me to volunteer at PMCJ and mobilize youth around climate justice.”
How did you experience the impact of climate change as a child?
“I grew up in Northern Samar in the Visayas archipelago, an area that is often hit by typhoons. Even light rains often led to flooding. As a child, I experienced typhoons of all strengths, from minor to super typhoons.”
"I remember that we always had an emergency bag ready with basic supplies and important documents, so that we could leave quickly when a storm approached. I have seen houses destroyed by floods and strong winds. That made PMCJ's discussion on climate justice very personal and concrete for me."
What challenges do you face as an activist?
"The climate crisis itself is already a huge challenge. Bringing communities together is difficult due to frequent typhoons and floods. For communities that don’t know the science behind climate change, it’s often overwhelming until they accept you as one of them.”
“Moreover, climate activists in the Philippines are often seen as a threat to the government and are therefore labeled as 'rebels' or 'terrorists'. After all, many politicians are also supported by the owners of, for example, coal-fired power stations. We are intimidated and threatened every day. I have also experienced this."
“The big companies behind coal-fired power stations and fossil fuel extraction – the companies we are fighting against – are also not afraid to intimidation or even violence. Hundreds of climate activists have been murdered in the past decade. Activism in the Philippines is really dangerous; it is one of the riskiest countries for environmental defenders.”
How do you organize others to fight for climate justice with you?
“It’s hard, but I’m not doing this for myself or my community. It’s about the future of all of us, everywhere in the world.”
“With Youth for Climate Justice (Y4CJ) within PMCJ, we organize forums and help communities come together so they can act as a collective voice against harmful projects, such as coal-fired power stations. Without action, corporations will continue to exploit and destroy our environment. Together we are stronger and louder, and we can demand change from governments and companies.”
“Y4CJ also helps schools to set up their own Y4CJ chapters. It is important that young people unite in the fight for climate justice, because our future is at stake."
Have you already achieved tangible successes?
"Absolutely. Seeing young people mobilizing for climate justice is already a victory for me, because something concrete is happening: mobilization and organization. Young people and students are inspired to take action in schools and communities."
"In addition, the PMCJ youth group has also helped halt the construction of three large coal-fired power plants on Mindanao Island and the construction of two other plants and a fossil gas/LNG plant. In total, between 2016 and 2022, PMCJ has managed to stop the construction of 19 coal-fired power stations or to postpone."
"In 2023, we managed to stop eight LNG infrastructures. Despite death threats and intimidation, we succeeded because we united in a powerful movement. This is a great victory for the local community and the climate."
What is the role of PMCJ in the Philippines?
"PMCJ is a coalition of more than 150 local and national organizationsThe constituency consists of farmers, farm workers, fishermen, women, youth, religious organizations, teachers and indigenous communities. The coalition aims to just transition, a shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy, and the addressing the impact of climate change on food, agricultural land, water and biodiversity. We strengthen communities to better protect vulnerable groups such as women and children from the impacts of climate change."
"We are also determined to to declare the climate crisis an emergency. This is no longer just climate change – it is code red and immediate action is needed. To achieve these goals, we are waging major campaigns, pressing policymakers, and organizing community education and mobilizations."
PMCJ is also currently participating in the international climate conference COP29. What demands are you putting on the table?
“At COP29 we will bring forward clear messages. Together with other movements we continue to hammer on climate financing. Because rich, industrialized countries have a historical responsibility. Because of their high CO2 emissions, now and in the past, they really need to meet their obligations to help vulnerable countries. This money is essential for these countries to reduce the impact of the crisis, adapt and invest in a sustainable energy transition.”
“Countries like the Philippines are in dire need of more financing, what is now being discussed at COP29. I hope that rich countries will now finally meet their obligations.”
"But this is not easy. Rich countries often dominate negotiations and influence the outcomes in their favor. It is an ongoing challenge to ensure that communities like ours in the Philippines are heard. Yet simply being present and putting our demands on the table is a victory. COP provides a platform to advocate for equitable solutions together with organizations from around the world."
What message do you want to give to Belgian youth?
“Many young people in the Global North have not yet experienced the severe impacts of the climate crisis that we in the Philippines are experiencing, where devastating storms, catastrophic floods and landslides are now the new normal. They have not yet seen or experienced hundreds of thousands of lives lost to the climate crisis. Many have also never experienced threats or intimidation from governments or corporations.”
"But don't wait for it to happen to you. The crisis is already here. Recent floods in Spain and Poland, with significant human and financial costs, prove this. We need collective action for climate justice. The climate crisis cannot be addressed by individual countries alone. The crisis is global and the solution must be global. We must unite now and take action!"
