Kalikasan People's Network for the Environment

Kalikasan People's Network for the Environment
Name	Kalikasan People's Network for the Environment
Formation	1987
Type	Coalition; Non-governmental organization
Headquarters	Philippines
Location	Philippines
Region served	Philippines; Southeast Asia
Membership	Grassroots organizations; Indigenous communities; Environmental groups
Leader title	Convenor

Kalikasan People's Network for the Environment is a Philippine-based coalition of environmental and social justice organizations formed to coordinate grassroots responses to environmental degradation, resource extraction, and human rights violations. The network links local community organizations, indigenous peoples' movements, labor unions, and faith-based groups to mount campaigns against mining, logging, and large-scale infrastructure projects across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. It works alongside regional actors in ASEAN, engages with international mechanisms such as the United Nations Environment Programme, and participates in transnational coalitions addressing climate change and biodiversity loss.

History

Kalikasan emerged in the late 1980s amid post-Marcos civil society mobilization that included actors like Bayan Muna, Anakpawis, Kilusan ng mga Manggagawang Bayani, Alyansa ng mga Magbubukid sa Gitnang Luson, and faith-based groups such as Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines networks. Its founding drew inspiration from environmental campaigns led by Jose W. Diokno-era activists, anti-mining struggles like those in Didipio, alliances with indigenous organizations including KAMP, and solidarity from NGOs such as Haribon Foundation and Greenpeace Southeast Asia. During the 1990s Kalikasan coordinated protests against projects associated with corporations like Philex Mining Corporation and Placer Dome, and connected to international initiatives such as the Rio Earth Summit follow-up processes and the World Commission on Dams debates. In the 2000s and 2010s it expanded collaborations with regional bodies such as ASEAN Peoples' Forum participants and engaged with transnational networks including Friends of the Earth International, Global Witness, and International Union for Conservation of Nature. The network has also interacted with Philippine institutions like the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and legal fora such as the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines.

Mission and Objectives

The network’s stated mission aligns with social movements that emphasize community rights and environmental protection. Objectives include defending rights of indigenous peoples represented by groups like KATRIBU and Tebtebba, opposing extractive projects exemplified by controversies involving Marcopper Mining Corporation and Sagip Kalikasan campaigns, and promoting alternatives advanced by agroecology proponents associated with MASIPAG and La Via Campesina Philippines. It seeks policy reforms in arenas addressed by statutes such as the Philippine Mining Act of 1995 and mechanisms like the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, and it engages with international law instruments including the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and climate protocols discussed at UNFCCC Conferences of the Parties.

Organizational Structure

The coalition operates through a secretariat convened by member organizations drawn from regional clusters in Northern Luzon, Southern Tagalog, Visayas, and Mindanao, connecting groups like Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas chapters, Cordillera Peoples Alliance, and urban environmental collectives. Coordination is achieved via general assemblies, thematic committees (e.g., mining, forestry, climate), and task forces that liaise with policy venues such as the Philippine Congress committees and international bodies like Asian Development Bank review processes. Decision-making reflects consensus models influenced by indigenous governance traditions represented by IPON delegates and grassroots federations allied with Gabriela and BAYAN. Funding derives from member contributions, grants from international funders including Open Society Foundations allies, and solidarity campaigns run with partners like Oxfam Philippines.

Campaigns and Programs

Kalikasan has mounted campaigns against large-scale mining in sites tied to corporations such as Lepanto Consolidated Mining Company, protested logging operations implicated with firms connected to San Miguel Corporation supply chains, and opposed hydropower projects associated with financiers like Meralco-linked consortia. Programs include community legal aid in collaboration with organizations like Lawyers for Human Rights, biodiversity monitoring with networks such as BirdLife International affiliates, public education campaigns in partnership with academic institutions including University of the Philippines units, and rapid response teams for environmental defenders linked to international lists maintained by Front Line Defenders. It has organized mass mobilizations during events akin to Earth Day observances, lobbied during hearings before the Senate of the Philippines and House of Representatives of the Philippines, and contributed inputs to multistakeholder dialogues like those convened by the UN Environment Programme.

Advocacy and Policy Impact

The network’s advocacy has influenced national debates on mining policy amendments to the Philippine Mining Act of 1995 and pushed for enforcement actions under agencies such as the Department of Justice (Philippines) and Department of Environment and Natural Resources. It has submitted shadow reports to international mechanisms including the UN Human Rights Council and participated in regional consultations within ASEAN processes. Its campaigns have helped elevate cases before the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines and spurred investigative journalism by outlets like Rappler and ABS-CBN News. At the international level, Kalikasan’s affiliates have engaged with bodies like the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights in solidarity actions and contributed to civil society input at UNFCCC and Convention on Biological Diversity meetings.

Partnerships and Affiliations

The network partners with a wide array of organizations and institutions, from grassroots collectives such as Masifundis and Aniban ng Manggagawa to international NGOs including Friends of the Earth International, Greenpeace, and WWF-Philippines-associated initiatives. It maintains ties with labor federations like Kilusang Mayo Uno, women’s groups such as Gabriela, faith-based networks including Kilusang Mayo Uno-adjacent church activists, and academic partners at Ateneo de Manila University and De La Salle University. Donor and solidarity relationships have included foundations such as Ford Foundation and engagements with multilateral institutions like the World Bank during safeguard consultations.

Controversies and Criticisms

Kalikasan has faced criticisms from corporate actors including mining firms like Philex Mining Corporation and political figures tied to extractive interests who allege obstructionism and politicization of environmental issues, invoking controversies similar to conflicts involving Marcopper and campaign disputes seen in Didipio legal battles. Some government-aligned commentators and legislators have questioned the network’s funding sources and affiliations with international NGOs such as Open Society Foundations and Friends of the Earth International, while business groups including chambers of commerce have accused it of impeding development projects backed by entities like San Miguel Corporation and infrastructure consortia that include Ayala Corporation partners. Human rights organizations like Amnesty International and civil society coalitions have both defended and critiqued aspects of Kalikasan’s tactics, particularly concerning direct action and community blockades mirrored in other struggles documented by Global Witness.

Category:Environmental organizations based in the Philippines