We’re in it for the long haul

By Chuck Baclagon

The highlight of Piglas Pilipinas was a 10,000-strong mobilization on May 4 in the Batangas Provincial Sports Complex to stop the building of a 600-megawatt coal plant in Batangas City and to call for a moratorium on all new coal-fired power plants in the entire country. Photo: Veejay Villafranca

It took me time to write this for break free because it was a totally tiring yet fulfilling ordeal.

A panoramic shot of the crowd that gathered to march and attend the Piglas rally last May 4, 2016. Photo: Chuck Baclagon

February 8, 2016: Taken during the first exploratory meeting between the Manila and Batangas groups in Lipa, Batangas. Photo: Kristine Balmes

Looking at the images of the crowd of around 10,000 people that joined the Piglas Batangas! Piglas Pilipinas! (Break free Batangas! Break free Philippines!), I am reminded of the overwhelming work and emotions put into the whole project that were not entirely captured in the photographs.

Batangas stands at the forefront of opposing destructive development even before the Piglas Pilipinas network was formed. Photo: Albert Lozada

In reality what looked like a spontaneous mass uprising against coal was the product of almost half-a-year of campaign, organising and logistical work. It was months of meetings, multitasking, preparations, balancing organizational self-interests and negotiating consensus among the Piglas campaign network.

April 6, 2016: Launch press conference of Piglas Pilipinas with Archbishop Arguelles, in Quezon City. Photo: Chuck Baclagon

April 10, 2016: More than 300 youth from all over Batangas, who participated in the two-day climate activist camp held in Lipa, Batangas form a human banner to voice their opposition to coal plants in their province. Photo: Fread De Mesa

It was the act of collectively struggling with defining what it means to escalate in concrete conditions of the campaign landscape. For us, it was also recognising the equal challenge and opportunity brought about by the upcoming Philippine national elections, so it was also months of working with various sectors and understanding where we should stand on areas of contention in the divisive election season and it was also a time of respecting boundaries — political/ideological or otherwise. Moreover, it was also about respecting religious freedom and diversity in the areas that we worked with.

March 18, 2016: 3,000 Batangas citizens, anti-coal activists and environmental advocates gathered and marched from the Batangas Provincial Capitol towards the Lyceum of the Philippines University in Batangas City, to remind local candidates running for office to include the phase out of dirty energy in their platforms. Photo: AC Dimatatac

April 22, 2016: Piglas Pilipinas! called for just energy transition from fossil-fuels to renewable energy as they march with environmental and social justice groups to commemorate Earth Day 2016. Photo: AC Dimatatac

It was understanding the task of organizing from the vantage point of the marginalized and those most affected. It was also about stepping back and enabling them to speak out using their own voice. On a bigger picture, it was also listening to the cry of those beyond Batangas, and standing in solidarity with the plight of those who aspire for a fossil-free world.

May 2, 2016: Local and national organizers of Piglas, hold press conference to announce the 10,000-strong march on May 4. Photo: AC Dimatatac

May 1, 2016: Climate and faith activists hold candlelight vigil in Manila to kickoff the #BreakFree2016 week of global actions, with a demand for the cancellation of all plans, permits and construction of coal-fired power plants in Batangas and the rest of the country. Photo: LJ Pasion

These are not the events that make the news nor are these the things captured in photographs. But these are the myriad of things that make up the struggle for the long haul and these are the things that turns bleeding heart altruists into committed activists.

In the news the 10,000 people who came appear as nothing more than a mere statistic but for those of us involved, that was 10,000 individuals won over to the side of the energy revolution that we are waging.

Our task now is to continue to fan and deepen the collective love and rage that has been awoken in the hearts and minds of the grassroots anti-coal movement –because we’re in it for the long haul.