Franciscans International recently welcomed two partners from the Philippines to participate in their country’s examination by the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) in Geneva. In a submission ahead of the review, we raised our shared concerns over several large-scale development projects that have profound and negative human rights implications.
The government has already built fossil fuel infrastructure in the Verde Island Passage, harming this biodiversity hotspot and putting at risk the livelihoods of local fisherfolk. However, authorities now also plan to further develop the area as a major hub for liquified natural gas in the region. Beyond the larger threat of moving the Philippines away from its climate commitments, the immediate risks are already evident: in February 2023, a tanker carrying 900.000 litres of oil capsized causing a catastrophic spill.
“You cannot fish the way you could fish before. We’ve tested the toxicity in these marine protected areas. It’s still high, meaning that there is a risk for those that consume fish,” says Gerry Arances of the Center for Energy, Ecology and Development (CEED). “But people are forced to because there are no alternatives. And yet the government is not actually doing anything to clean it up. Their strategy for the oil-stricken municipalities is just a natural rehabilitation.”
In the same submission, we also expressed our concerns about ongoing reclamation projects in Manila Bay, leading to the destruction of mangroves and causing widespread environmental damage. With the fishing industry making up 67 percent of the bay’s total economic value, any decline in fish populations will have profound consequences for coastal communities. Already, the megaproject to develop Manila’s new airport has led to the displacement of 700 families, half of whom have received no compensation.
Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) working on these issues frequently face harassment, threats, or attacks themselves. Global Witness ranked the Philippines as the most dangerous Asian country for HRDs in 2023, with 305 killings documented since July 2016. To call attention to the consequences of this hostile environment for the promotion and protection of economic, social and cultural rights, FI also invited Samantha David of the Philippine Alliance for Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA) – an organization that itself has been accused by the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) of supporting terrorist organisations for its support for a Human Rights Defenders Protection Act.
“We understand that the UN sessions won’t magically solve the human rights situation in the Philippines, but it is valuable that we are at least bringing attention to the violations on the ground that would be otherwise unknown to the public – which would be even more dangerous,” she said. “It is one out of many steps, but the support is crucial in sustaining efforts.”
You can find the joint submission to CESCR by Franciscans International, PAHRA, and Fastenaktion here.