16 February 2011

HIS EXCELLENCY BENIGNO S. AQUINO III

President
Republic of the Philippines

Dear President Aquino:

It is our interest to support your administration in its pursuit for reforms particularly in light of your social
contract with the Filipino people. We see the utmost importance of a well crafted Medium Term Philippine
Development Plan (MTPDP 2011-2016) in clearly defining the directions and the blueprint for our country’s
growth and development under your term.

Our concern is the ever increasing vulnerability of our country to climate change even as we are already
experiencing its ill effects. Any plan for the country’s growth and development will unfortunately be an
exercise in futility IF it does not integrate concerted, extraordinary and urgent actions on climate change
adaptation and on our strategic transformation to a low-carbon economy. Together we must insist to
“green” the MTPDP, to make the MTPDP climate change responsive.

As the current MTPDP draft now stands, we feel there is still much space for improvement particularly in
the following arenas: a) food self sufficiency based on sustainable, ecological and organic agriculture; b)
disaster risk reduction & management; c) improved ecosystem, soil and water management; and, d)
sustainable, off grid, decentralized, community based, efficient and new renewable energy systems. Plans
and programs around these will ensure that growth and poverty reduction strategies contained in the
MTPDP are not just climate change-responsive but sustainable as well.

Looking at the situation we face today, it is apparent that the previous MTPDP did not go far enough. In its
relentless pursuit of growth, it failed to recognize the already over stretched carrying capacity of our
environment and natural resources. More than anything, it failed to consider that the environment is the
social security system of the poor, and without environment sustainability, millions of Filipinos would be
denied the opportunity for sustainable growth. As a result, poverty has not been curbed, food security has
not been achieved, and our national vulnerability to climate change has increased. Clearly, the last decade
was a lost decade for environment sustainability and sustainable development and more could have been
done towards this end. This situation must be reversed.

We humbly urge you to lead the path towards “greening” the MTPDP. Break free from the failed
development track of the previous administration. Your exercise of political will in the issuance of a national
logging ban has encouraged us. We hope you do not relent in pursuing conservation, protection and
rehabilitation of our environment and natural resources as it is the best socio-economic safety net for our
largely ecologically-dependent and highly vulnerable communities.

As the formulation of the MTPDP is nearing its conclusion, we call on you to issue the necessary directive
that would start the "Green Audit" provided in Chapter 9 (Environment & Natural Resources) of the draft
MTPDP allowing for continuing review and adjustment of the country’s development plan in terms of its
consistency with environment sustainability.

As the nation commemorates the 25th anniversary of EDSA, we look forward to the fulfillment of its promise
of a better future for all Filipinos. Let us build together, a greener, more sustainable, resilient and climate
ready Philippines. Maraming salamat at umaasa po kami sa iyong pagpapahalaga sa ating kalikasan at sa
kapakanan ng bawat mamamayang Pilipino.

Sincerely yours,

THE CAUCUS TO GREEN THE MTPDP

Convened by the La Liga Policy Institute
25-A Marunong, St., Brgy. Central District, Q.C.
Telefax: 433-7875 ; laliga.policyinstitute@gmail.com ; www.laligapilipinas.org
Signed:

Jonathan D. Ronquillo
Environment Campaigner Ignacio Sayajon, III
Alternative Budget Initiative - Environment Policy Advocacy Coordinator
Cluster (ABI-Envi) Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities
(ICSC)
Jeanna A. Panganiban-Mejia
Angkan ng Mandirigma UP Diliman Chapter Anthony Gutierrez
Executive Director
Lester John Lomeda Institute for Philippine Cooperative and Social
President Enterprise Development (IPCSED)
Batas Tomasino, UST
Jacqueline Haessig Alleje
June Rodriguez Intercontinental Network of Organic Farmers
President Organizations (INOFO Philippines)
CONVERGENCE, for Community Area Centered
Development Lia Jasmin M. Esquillo
Executive Director
Elisea "Bebet" Gozun Interface Development Interventions, Inc (IDIS),
President Davao, Mindanao
Earthday Network Philippines
Alain Pascua
Rei Panaligan President
National Coordinator KAAKBAY
EcoWaste Coalition
Roland G. Cabigas
Edicio G. De La Torre Managing Director
President La Liga Policy Institute
Education for Life Foundation (ELF)
Don Florentino
Maria V. Mendoza National Coordinator
Executive Director Movement for the Advancement of Sustainable
Fair Trade Alliance (FTA) Agriculture (MASA)

Atty. Efren C. Moncupa Pablito M Villegas

Lead Convenor Co Convenor
Go Organic! Philippines One Organic Movement (OOM)

Amalie Conchelle Hamoy-Obusan Roy Cabonegro

Climate and Energy Campaigner Secretary-General
Greenpeace Southeast Asia (Philippines) Partido Kalikasan

Blas Tabaranza, Jr. Victoria M. Segovia

Chief Operating Officer Executive Director
Haribon Foundation Partnership for Clean Air (PCA)

Atty. Rodolfo Quicho Isagani R. Serrano

Individual capacity President
Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement
Vladie A. Bañez
Individual capacity

Convened by the La Liga Policy Institute

25-A Marunong, St., Brgy. Central District, Q.C.
Telefax: 433-7875 ; laliga.policyinstitute@gmail.com ; www.laligapilipinas.org
Horacio "Boy" R. Morales, Jr.
President
RESILIENCE, Nurturing Disaster Ready Cities
and Communities

Jessica Reyes-Cantos
Lead Convenor, RWAN
Rice Watch and Action Network (RWAN), Action
for Economic Reforms (AER)

Pureza Tesoro
Saganang Buhay sa Liga ng Bayan Foundation,
Inc. (SBSB)

Bro. Martin Francisco

BSMP, Chairperson
Sagip Sierra Madre Environmental Society, Inc.
(SSMESI)

Ramon Padilla
Policy Research and Advocacy Advisor
Sibol ng Agham at Teknolohiya, Inc. (SIBAT)

Chen Reyes-Mencias
Consultant
Sierra Tourism Consultancy

Prof. Leonor Magtolis Briones, PhD

Lead Convenor
Social Watch Philippines (SWP)

Dean. Rex Victor O. Cruz, PhD

College of Forestry and Natural Resources
University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB)

Dean. Domingo E. Angeles, PhD

College of Agriculture
University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB)

Dean. Ma. Victoria O. Espaldon, PhD

School of Environmental Science
University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB)

Dean. Oscar B. Zamora, PhD

Graduate School
University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB)

Luz Bakiñas
Vice President, Project Development
World Wildlife Fund Philippines (WWF)

Ofelia A. Panganiban
Zero Waste Recycling Movement of the
Philippines (ZWRMP)
Convened by the La Liga Policy Institute
25-A Marunong, St., Brgy. Central District, Q.C.
Telefax: 433-7875 ; laliga.policyinstitute@gmail.com ; www.laligapilipinas.org