An approximately four-hectare open dumpsite in Barangay San Nicolas, Sta. Ana, Pampanga was closed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources on February 5, 2021 for violating the RA 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 and the RA 8749 or the Clean Air Act of 1999. Photo from the Facebook page of DENR. MANILA, 2 March 2021 — The Climate Change Commission (CCC) emphasized the need for a single-use plastics ban if the world is to remain within the 1.5° Celsius limit and prevent the worst of climate change impacts as a Technical Working Group of the House of Representatives Committee on Ecology chaired by Rep. Francisco "Kiko" Benitez moves to consolidate and finalize bills seeking to phase-out or regulate single-use plastics. The CCC, led by its Chairperson-designate Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez, has said that it is aligned with the aims of the bill “to advance realistic solutions to address the challenge of single-use plastics pollution and provide a clear pathway for the pursuit of sustainable consumption and production.” In its submission to the Committee, the CCC said that “a single-use plastics ban is a necessary key step towards achieving a '1.5°C world.' This is the global warming threshold at which vulnerable countries like the Philippines can survive climate impacts. The proposed measure will help create a fundamental shift in the way we deliver on socioeconomic needs, whereby we can promote a cleaner environment, reduce flooding as we are a typhoon-prone country, and mitigate carbon emissions from plastics production." A Roadmap for Sustainability on Single-Use Plastics by the United Nations Environment Programme warns that the world’s capacity to cope with plastic waste has already been overwhelmed. With only 9% of the world’s plastic waste being recycled and the rest ending up in landfills, dumps, or in the environment, the report estimates that there will be 12 billion tons of plastic litter in landfills and the environment by 2050. Aside from the environmental impact, the UN also warns of the numerous health problems and vast economic damage caused by plastic waste. On Monday, the House TWG on its fourth meeting completed a run-through of its draft bill with stakeholders from industry, environmental groups and experts, academia, government, and civil society. Among the provisions discussed during the meeting was the proposed provision on Extended Producers' Responsibility or EPR authored by Deputy Speaker Rufus Rodriguez, which will hold producers responsible for collecting and recycling the amount of plastic that they produce and introduce into the market. “Mandatory EPR will be complementary to a ban on single use plastics as a long-term regulatory measure. It will reduce the amount of packaging lingering in the environment, foster business responsibility, and stimulate the recycling sector, as found in the UN report," the CCC said. The fourth TWG meeting also touched on other solutions needed to solve the problem of plastic waste, including the need to improve solid waste management, invest in the country’s recycling infrastructure, and intervene in e-commerce especially as the lockdowns due to the pandemic are seen to increase the use of unnecessary plastic. “It requires more than a single type of solution. This is such a comprehensive and lifestyle issue that is a consequence of our own industrial processes for the last 200 years,” said Rep. Benitez. UN Environment’s roadmap similarly notes a broad range of actions that must be taken by stakeholders beyond bans and levies on single-use plastics, including the need to improve waste management practices; provide financial incentives to change the habits of consumers, retailers, and manufacturers; accelerate a more circular model of plastics design and production; finance research and the development of alternative materials; and raise awareness. “A national law regulating single-use plastics will serve as an overarching framework and a unified policy to strengthen the impact of existing local ordinances that currently ban or regulate single-use plastics across an estimated 480 provinces, cities, and municipalities,” the CCC noted.
(From left to right) CCC Commissioner Rachel Anne S. Herrera, DENR Undersecretaries Juan Miguel T. Cuna and Analiza Rebuelta-Teh, and DENR Climate Change Service Director Elenida Basug during the opening of the National Women’s Month celebration held today by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. MANILA, 1 March 2021 — The Climate Change Commission (CCC) joins the country in celebration of National Women’s Month this March. Anchored on the theme, “Women can make change amidst the climate crisis and COVID-19,” the month-long celebration aims to highlight the empowerment of women as active contributors to and claimholders of climate-resilient development. This year’s observance highlights women’s participation in battling the COVID-19 pandemic and climate crisis, as well as discusses gender issues exacerbated by these crises. “The Climate Change Commission wholeheartedly adopts this year's theme as a good reminder and a timely call to action: "Na laban sa krisis sa klima at pandemya, kaya ni Juana". A more gender-equitable world is a safer and greener world. As the United Nations reminds us with this global celebration, achieving gender equality is an enabler not just for climate action, but all the other SDGs,” said Climate Change Commissioner Rachel Herrera in her message for the opening program of the National Women’s Month celebration of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Monday. Women commonly face higher risks and greater burdens from the impacts of climate change and the pandemic in situations of poverty. Moreover, women’s unequal participation in decision-making processes compound inequalities and often prevent women from fully contributing to planning, policy-making and implementation. In her message, Herrera also highlighted the role of gender equality in driving progress on climate and sustainability, and outlined three key areas of action to achieve this: ensuring the equal participation of women, ensuring enablers for laws and policies promoting gender equality in terms of financial resources and capacity, and strengthening convergence among bodies working on climate and gender. “I’d like to point out that there is mounting evidence of the link between gender equality and environmental outcomes. May mga studies na po na (there are already studies that show) that when gender inequality is high, we expect higher environmental degradation.” The program also saw the launch of Mga Kwentong KLIMA-likasan Tungo sa Katatagan: A Recognition Awards on Climate and Disaster Resiliency, led by the DENR Gender Development Office and Climate Change Service. The competition, which will run from March to May 2021, aims to showcase the important contributions and initiatives of men and women working on the environment, climate change, and disaster risk reduction sectors. “Pagka pinapakita ang climate change, ang tungkol sa kababaihan, parang laging gloomy. So gusto po nating baguhin ‘yung narrative (When we talk about climate change and women, it always seems to be gloomy. We want to change the narrative),” said Atty. Analiza Rebuelta-Teh, Undersecretary for Finance, Information System, and Climate Change, and Chairperson of the DENR National Gender and Development Focal Point System. “We want to participate in the global good stories movement. In this movement, we share the common belief that we can change the story of the world by changing the storyline,” Teh said. “We aim to spot and highlight the good stories and in doing so, encourage more to pursue good stories of behavior change in the environment, care for the Earth, and addressing impacts of climate change in their communities,” she added. “We know there are pockets of good stories and narratives at different levels. As we seek them out, let’s document them, let’s publicize them, and let’s create more ripples of hope,” she emphasized. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) recognizes the critical role of women in response to climate change due to their local knowledge of and leadership in areas like sustainable resource management or leading sustainable practices at the household and community level. Women’s participation at the political level has resulted in greater responsiveness to citizen’s needs, often increasing cooperation across party and ethnic lines and delivering more sustainable peace. At the local level, women’s inclusion at the leadership level has led to improved outcomes of climate-related projects and policies. Likewise, if policies or projects are implemented without women’s meaningful participation, it can increase existing inequalities and decrease effectiveness. March of every year is declared as National Women’s Month through the following issuances: Proclamation No. 227 s.1998 provides for the observance of the month of March as Women’s Role in History Month; Republic Act 6949 s.1990 declares March 8 of every year as International Women’s Day; and Proclamation No. 224 s.1988 declaring the first week of March each year as Women’s Week and March 8 as Women’s Rights and International Peace Day. Through this celebration, the CCC calls on the Filipinos to find innovative ways of reimagining and rebuilding systems that work for everyone, regardless of gender and age, in pursuit of sustainable and inclusive development.
Cohort of climate defenders during a meeting convened by the British Embassy in Manila in preparation for the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference. Photo released by British Embassy Manila. MANILA, 26 February 2021 — Some of the country’s top ‘Climate Defenders’ attended recently a meeting convened by the British Embassy in Manila in preparation for the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference or COP26 in November this year. Among those at the meeting hosted by British Ambassador Daniel Pruce were three-term Senator and now Deputy Speaker Loren Legarda, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno represented by Managing Director Lyn Javier, ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity Executive Director Theresa Mundita Lim, Oscar M. Lopez Center Executive Director and leading climate scientist Dr. Rodel Lasco, DREAM founder and renewable energy policy expert Atty. Jay Layug, and journalist and youth leader Atom Araullo. During the meeting, Legarda outlined the interventions needed in the Philippines’ climate movement. “As our greenhouse gas emissions are likely to rise without interventions, we will pursue our goal to steer our critical sectors towards green growth and resilience,” Legarda said. “We will continue to identify, fund, and implement our country’s adaptation priorities,” she said. But Legarda also stressed the need for continued initiatives to mainstream science in policy, and for more urgent collective action across all sectors. “We need to make climate science and research work for us, to make them more understandable, relatable, and actionable especially for our local governments and communities,” Legarda pointed out. Ambassador Pruce cited the breadth of issues to be discussed at the climate conference, most importantly on decarbonization and clean energy, green finance, nature-based solutions, and the need to ensure broader participation where every citizen can be engaged. He stressed the important role of the Climate Defenders or tagapagtanggol as local thought leaders, voices, and faces that attest to the urgency of climate change and call for mobilization of bold and meaningful actions. Dr. Lim called for more investments on natural solutions to climate impacts as a path to building resilient communities. “The inextricable connection among nature, human health, and economic development is no longer a question. It needs to be at the center of our development processes – from addressing health and climate crisis, to establishing recovery paths and building resilience for the future. Since climate change and pandemics affect everyone in the globe, our actions must also cut across disciplines and sectors,” Lim said. Dr. Lasco, a member of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, pointed out that “climate change action is for us, our children, and our future generation. The challenge is to act now.” For Araullo, who has presented award-winning documentaries from climate-related disasters, the youth must be given space to engage, so that their energy and passion can fuel climate actions as they have the most at stake in the climate crisis. Legarda also reiterated the importance of the upcoming conference, and expressed hope that the UK’s leadership can amplify developing countries’ initiatives in pursuit of climate justice, which she also mentioned in a recent meeting with MP Anne-Marie Trevelyan, Minister for Business, Energy and Clean Growth and UK’s Adaptation and Resilience Champion. “COP26 will be a defining moment for the global community as it marks the start of the full implementation of the Paris Agreement to keep us on track on the 1.5ºC climate pathway before we miss to achieve this goal at the end of this decade. A number of climate change impacts could still be avoided by limiting global warming to 1.5ºC compared to 2ºC above pre-industrial levels by 2100. But if we do business-as-usual, warming is projected to reach 3ºC to 4ºC, which will mean massive coral bleaching, rising sea levels, and more intense typhoons,” she stressed. “The UK COP Presidency must be able to amplify and support the agenda of vulnerable developing nations, such as addressing loss and damage and accelerating finance flows, technology transfer, and capacity development—all in the name of climate justice,” Legarda noted. “We need convergence from all of us, from all sectors and stakeholders. We need to be constantly finding new solutions and approaches. We need to empower our youth by providing them space to decide and take meaningful action,” she added. “And we need a greater sense of urgency because time is running out. The pandemic has already caused a significant delay to our climate movement, and we cannot afford to lose any more time,” she emphasized. Legarda similarly pressed for urgent climate action during the Climate Adaptation Summit last month, where she emphasized the importance of accelerating efforts and investments in adaptation in promoting sustainable recovery from the pandemic. “We need to make up for delays and lost time on our global pace on climate action due to COVID-19 and actually recognize the opportunity of pursuing climate resilience, as we promote a sustainable pandemic recovery,” said Legarda, who was a resource speaker for the summit organized by the Global Commission on Adaptation. Legarda is also one of the over 30 Commissioners across 20 convening countries of the Commission, which aims to inspire heads of state, government officials, community leaders, business executives, investors, and other international actors to prepare for and respond to the disruptive effects of climate change. “Economic disruptions and public health emergencies will happen again if we don’t consider and address the climate crisis as a much bigger threat than COVID-19,” she warned. According to Legarda, this becomes even more urgent because of the looming 2030 deadline, which “scientists have declared as the closing of the window of opportunity to deflect the catastrophic effects of climate change.” “When we say adaptation, we know that it’s really a matter of life and death. It means being able to protect our people and their means to live and prosper, and to transform our societies so they are better equipped to deal with the increasing risks and challenges from climate change,” she explained. Citing a report from the Commission, Legarda warned that without adaptation, “500 million small farms around the world will be most affected by decreased yields, 3.6 to more than 5 billion people may lack sufficient water, hundreds of million people could be displaced, and more than 100 million people in developing countries could be pushed below the poverty line.” “We need to continue rallying behind the science and amplify the voices of our youth and the vulnerable. We need to continue engaging governments, the private sector, and the civil society and to actually work together on how we could further adapt our world within this crucial decade and beyond,” Legarda concluded.
Photo from the presentation of Deputy Speaker Loren Legarda. MANILA, 23 February 2021 — House Deputy Speaker Loren Legarda, speaking at the first session of the Future Earth Philippines Regional Workshop for Visayas today, called for stronger science-based governance as the Philippines remains on track in Climate Action under Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13, but could be failing in its pursuit of other SDGs. “We need to undertake science-based and risk-informed action and investment planning. This is crucial for all our local government units (LGUs) that are at the forefront of the preparation and implementation of local climate action plans. They must be able to know their specific climate risks and vulnerabilities, as a way to inform their actions, policies, and investments within their jurisdictions,” Legarda said. “We have always considered that adaptation is local, recognizing that our communities bear the brunt of climate impacts and therefore our local leaders must be able to address their risks and vulnerabilities specific to their area, as effectively as possible,” Legarda added. National Scientist Dr. Lourdes J. Cruz of the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST), during her presentation on the Future Earth Philippines Program (FEPP), cited a report by the Footprint Network which showed that the Philippines has been running on an “ecological deficit for the past half-century.” “From the 1960s to 2016, there is a continuous decrease in the biocapacity of the Philippines. From about one global hectare per person we are now down to 0.5. Nangalahati na ang ating biocapacity since 1960 [Our biocapacity has halved since 1960],” Dr. Cruz noted. Biocapacity is the ability ecosystems to provide natural resources and absorb the waste produced by humans. “Our footprint, which is how much we disturb the environment, has gone from 1 to 1.3 global hectares. So from the period where we had a more or less balanced biocapacity and ecological footprint, we are now in an ecological deficit with a -0.8 global hectares per person deficit,” she added. Dr. Cruz highlighted the FEPP’s goal to provide scientific and social bases for policies and strengthen citizen action and stakeholder participation. She presented data from the Sustainable Development Report, noting that the country is on track to achieve only two of the 17 SDGs: Climate Action and Poverty. At the same time, it is ranked “stagnating” in six goals, and “decreasing” in two others. The Philippines scored 65.5 in the Report, ranking 99 out of 166 countries. “We are on track to attaining the 2030 SDGs with respect to No Poverty and Climate Action, but we know very well that although overall our poverty level has gone down, there’s a big disparity in terms of poverty because some provinces and some regions are extremely poor, particularly BARMM and Eastern Visayas, whereas others are doing well,” she added. “But if you look at Quality Education and Life on Land, bagsak tayo dito [we are failing]. We are really decreasing in our ability to attain the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. And with the others, we are improving, but not at a rate that is enough to reach the goal by 2030. For us to be resilient, we have to attain or at least approach the Sustainable Development Goals because sustainability and resilience are closely interlinked,” Dr. Cruz emphasized. As a champion for resilience, Legarda also emphasized the importance of translating knowledge into action during her keynote speech—bringing science into local government interventions, and bringing research to the level of the barangay. “If only all the 1,600 or more local governments, whether cities or municipalities, would do their city and municipal planning based on science and resilience, and disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation and mitigation, and if all our scientists would share and operationalize and explain up to the barangay level the importance of your research, then we can have more enlightened local governments and more effective local governance,” she added. Aside from undertaking science-based and risk-informed action and investment planning for local governments, Legarda also stressed the importance of strengthening social protection; conducting an environmental program audit covering the performance of national agencies and LGUs in enforcing environmental laws, regulations, and compliance guidelines; advancing economic and business resilience; and strengthening partnerships and convergence. “Climate action cannot solely be the government’s responsibility. Each of us has a role to play. At the end of this decade, by 2030, is the deadline of the Sustainable Development Goals and the year our scientists have declared as the closing of the window of opportunity to deflect the catastrophic effects of climate change. This decade is our last chance,” Legarda said. “Whatever actions we take today will ultimately affect our children and grandchildren. Even if we hand them over all our material wealth, it would not matter if they live in a polluted, uninhabitable, degraded Earth. The path that we will take today will determine the fate of the next generations. Let us not fail them,” Legarda concluded. The FEP Regional Workshop for Visayas is a two-day workshop held via Zoom with the aim of helping local governments review their development plans, assess the status of development in their jurisdiction, and draft strategies to facilitate their transition towards sustainable development and improved resilience. In attendance are representatives from LGUs, the academe, industry, and other institutions.
Halimbawa ng mga pekeng habi na natagpuan sa Baguio. Litrato mula sa presentasyon ni Gng. Rosalinda Salifad, manghahabi mula sa La Trinidad, Benguet. MAYNILA, Ika-22 ng Pebrero taong 2021 — Binigyang-diin ni House Deputy Speaker at Antique Representative Loren Legarda kasama ng mga panauhing tagapagsalita ang kahalagahan ng pangangalaga at pagprotekta natin sa mga gawang-habi kasama ng tradisyonal na pamanang kultura ng mga katutubong Pilipino laban sa pagpe-peke at pang-aabuso ng ibang mga taong walang konsensya na matatawag nating 'Kriminal ng Kultura' sa gitna ng ika-35 na kabanata ng “Stories for a Better Normal: Pandemic and Climate Pathways,” na may temang, "Protektahan at Pangalagaan ang Lokal nating Industriya ng Paghahabi!" na naipalabas sa Facebook Live. Nagtipon-tipon ang mga katutubong manghahabi, mga tagapag-tanggol at tagasulong, kasama ang mga kinatawan mula sa pamahalaan, na nakisali sa online paguusap-talakayan. Sila ay sina Virginia Doligas, General Manager ng Easter Weaving Room, Inc.; si Anya Lim, Co-Founder of Anthill Fabric Gallery; si Rosalina Salifad, manghahabi mula sa La Trinidad, Benguet; si Abigail Mae Bulayungan, President of PhilExpo CAR; Atty. Emerson Cuyo, Director of the Bureau of Copyright and Related Rights of the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines; Abubacar Datumanong, Commissioner of Cultural Communities and Traditional Arts and Head of National Committee on Southern Cultural Communities of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA); Edwin Antonio, Secretary of Cultural Communities and Traditional Arts and Head of National Committee on Northern Cultural Communities of NCCA; Remedios Abgona, Chief of the Fiber Utilization And Technology Division of the Philippine Fiber Industry Development Authority (PhilFIDA); Commissioner Jennifer Pia Sibug-Las of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) - Central Mindanao; and Dir. Julius Leaño, Chief of the Research and Development Division of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Philippine Textile Research Institute (PTRI). “Ito’y napakahalaga dahil ito’y pamana ng ating mga kapatid na katutubong Pilipino. Ito’y sakop ng ating mga polisiya at mga batas, ang pagprotekta sa ating tangible at intangible heritage – yung mga resilient livelihoods ng ating mga manglilikhang-sining at manghahabi,” nabanggit ni House Deputy Speaker at Antique Representative Loren Legarda. Tinalakay ng katutubong mga manghahabi at ng mga negosyante ang epekto ng dagsang bagsak sa merkado ng gawang makinang mga kumot at mga baro na sinasabi at inaakong mga anyong-habing mula Cordillera na dumadagsa dito sa lokal nating mga merkado na mula pa sa ibayong dagat, at ito ngayon ay nakakapinasala sa ating lokal na industriyang paghahabi. “Nagsimula lahat ito noong isang taon, maraming nakapagsasabi sa amin na mayroong mga commercial cloth na ang hitsura ay kamukhang-kamukha ng design ng ating katutubong-habi. Hindi po kami nakatugon kaagad dahil wala naman po kami nakikita, ngunit pagkatapos itong mga nasabing pekeng mga materyales ay nagsimulang dumagsang-buhos sa Baguio, kung saan nabahala po kami at doon na po namin napatunayan na may mga fabric material na commercial na printed siya na katutubong disenyo at nalaman naming ito ay imported material mula sa China,” sabi ni Doligas. “Malalaman kaagad sa embroidery at texture kung ano ang printed at original. Pag printed po, manipis. Ang akala namin, 'Buti na lang nakapasok yung mga gawa natin sa department store [dito sa Baguio]', pero nung nahawakan po namin, replica pala, kasi manipis at printed lang siya," sabi ni Salifad. "Ang pagkakaroon ng mga huwad o pekeng barong-habi dito sa aming probinsya ay naka-aapekto sa marami naming mga manghahabi. Karamihan sa mga tao na hindi talaga sanay sa original or genuine woven fabrics ay pumapayag at pumipili na lang ng mga gawang kamukha at di naman orihinal. Yung ibang weavers dito, nagkakaroon na ng takot na habang kami ay mayroong limitadong kakayahan magtinda e ito namang mga replicas ay marami na ang bumibili sa kanila, kaya ang nangyayari, nandoon yung takot namin na mababawasan yung market namin, na sa kalaunan ay maka-aapekto rin sa pagbibigay namin ng trabahong gawain sa aming mga manghahabi," sabi ni Bulayungan. “Bigyan natin ng halaga ang mga habi. Ito ay hindi lang basta basta sangkap o palamuti lamang sa fashion, hindi lang ito basta tela. Ito ay kwento ng kasaysayan, kwento ng ating pagka-Pilipino. Ito ay ikino-consider ng ating mga ninuno na kanilang second skin. Bigyan natin ng halaga ang paghahabi ng higit pa sa paglagay lang natin ng presyo sa habi. Ang tela ay gawa sa kamay, hindi gawa sa makina at maraming metikulosong proseso na pinagdadaanan ang paghahabi bago siya maging tela," sabi ni Lim. Samantala, ang mga kinatawan mula sa mga ahensya ng pamahalaan ay naghayag ng kani-kanyang mga hakbanging makapagpo-protekta sa ating mga lokal na anyong paghahabi mula sa mga pagpe-peke at paghuhuwad. "Sa ngayon po meron pong ginagawang profiling, na sa kasalukuyan ay binubuo pa rin namin, pino-profile po namin ang lahat ng tradisyonal na produkto ng ibat-ibang mga pang kulturang pamayanan sa buong bansa, na syang bahagi ng NCCA Subcommittee on Cultural Communities and Traditional Arts sa kanilang taunang plano. Ito po ay isinasakatuparan ng ibang tagataguyod po kasama po ang ating mga cluster heads," sabi ni Commissioner Datumanong ng NCCA. “Nahinto ang produksyon dahil sa pandemic tapos biglang ito po ang kahaharapin ng mga manghahabing Cordilleran, na meron palang mga produktong peke. Patuloy pa rin ang pag-aaral namin sa sitwasyon ngayon at meron kaming pinag-uusapan sa Subcommission on Cultural Communities and Traditional Arts na magkaroon sana ng talaan ng ibat-ibang textiles at designs ng mga cultural communities para sa gayon malaman din natin at magamit para sa pagtukoy at pagkilala ng different textiles,” sabi ni Sec. Edwin Antonio ng NCCA. "Meron nang naririyang Memorandum of Understanding sa pagitan ng Kagawaran ng Agrikultura at ng IPO na nilagdaan noong taong 2018. Ang pakay po ng MOU ay ang kilalanin at maitaguyod ang protection ng mga produktong nagtataglay ng tanda ng kanyang pinagmulan, mapalago ang kalidad ng produksyon, palakasin ang posisyon sa merkado, maisulong ang pantay-pantay na distribusyon ng kita para sa pambukid na mga pamayanan at makaambag sa pangkalahatang paglago ng ekonomiya at pambansang pag-unlad," sabi ni Director Abgona ng PhilFIDA. "Geographical indication po ang tawag sa sign na ginagamit sa mga produktong mayroong natatanging geographical origin, o di naman kaya ay merong mga katangian o reputasyon na maaaring makilalang mula sa origin na yon. Sa ngayon po, wala tayong sistema ng GI ngunit maaari itong maprotektahan sa ilalim ng kasalukuyang IP code bilang isang collective mark. Kung gusto ng ating mga pangkat o grupong katutubo na magkaroon ng kani-kanyang collective mark para sa kani-kanyang mga industrial weaves, pwede po silang mag-apply sa Intellectual Property Office," sabi ni Atty. Cuyo ng IPO. “Alam natin na hindi lang paghahabi ang ating problema dito, kundi pati na rin yung sinasabi nating embroidery. Nagrereklamo rin po yung ating mga Manobo mula CARAGA dahil yung Suyam nila ay lumabas na rin sa merkado na peke rin yung materyal na ginagamit at pini-print na walang pahintulot sa ating mga komunidad. Dahil marami kaming natatanggap na mga reports na gumagawa yung mga "kriminal ng kultura", enterprising individuals o mga companies nating ng mga pekeng materials na hindi nagpapaalam sa ating mga komunidad, kaya nga't bumuo kami ng Task Force kung saan ito ang mag-iimbestiga ng mga ganitong paglabag sa karapatan ng ating mga katutubo,” sabi ni Commissioner Sibug-Las ng NCIP. “Ang design component, ang proteksyon ng design, ay hindi agarang nasa ilalim ng ating mandato, pero dahil nga sa ating kakayahan at pagkakaroon ng textile development, mayroon na ngayon tayong visualization app software kung saan maaaring maging bahagi na tayo ng documentation ng two-dimension patterns ng lahat ng mga textiles sa buong Pilipinas. Nilalagyan na nga natin ngayon ng laman ang ating database sa ating textile product development center para po digitalized na yung ating mga designs,” sabi ni Dir. Leaño ng PTRI. Para lamang mapalakas pa ang traditional property rights ng ating mga IPs at maprotektahan ang kani-kanyang traditional cultural heritage, Isinulong ni Deputy Speaker at Antique Representative Loren Legarda ang House Bill No. 7811 or An Act Safeguarding the Traditional Property Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Ang batas ay naglalayong pagbawalan ang posibleng pang-aabuso o pananamantala ng ating mga pamanang kultura, pinupunan nito ang ating mga pagkukulang at gumagamit ng conventional forms ng intellectual property, tulad ng copyright, royalty, at ownership. Karagdagang isinulong ni Legarda ang House Resolution No. 1549 na siyang humihikayat sa House Special Committee on Creative Industry and Performing Arts na maglunsad ng isang inquiry, in aid of legislation, ukol sa usapin ng counterfeit garments na nagmumula pa sa ibayong dagat na sinasabi at inaakalang gawa o barong habing mula Cordillera. Bilang pagtatapos ni Legarda, aniya, "Ang sining at ang mga likhang sining ng ating mga kapatid na katutubo (IPs) ay nangangailangan ng masusi at malalimang proseso ng mangangalaga at pagpro-protekta. 'Di natin dapat hayaan na ang kanilang mga malikhaing gawang sining na mula pa sa kani-kaniyang mga pamanang kultura ay mapasailalim sa banta ng mga huwad at pekeng imported materials".
