!! ACTION ALERTS !!

A group of concerned citizens of the Philippines, led by the youth sector, are circulating an environmental campaign-appeal and would like to seek your support.

This campaign is an appeal to save the forests of the Balinsasayao Twin Lakes Natural Park located in Negros Oriental, a province in the southern part of the country. There is a pending bill in the country's Congress to reduce the park's coverage and allot the reclaimed area for energy-generation projects of the Philippine National Oil Company. Concerned citizens are wary of this move because, when approved, they say it might cause various problems for the environment concerned, particularly harming the fresh water supply of the area.

Initiated by a group of university students, this campaign is intended to be a 'signature-collection' campaign by listing names and organisations of those who support it. For those who would like to support it, please e-mail the contact below.

We have posted the campaign letter below. It has been circulated through e-mails for "signature-gathering." For more information on how to support this campaign, please contact the organiser, Sonia S. Mendoza, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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An Appeal to Save the Forests of the Balinsasayao Twin Lakes Natural Park

We, the youth of Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental, appeal to the Protected Area Management Board of the Balinsasayao Twin Lakes Natural Park (BTLNP), our Senators, Congresspeople, and local government officials to hear our appeal to save the forests of the Balinsasayao Twin Lakes Natural Park.

We are opposed to the approval of House Bill No. 1462 which seeks to reduce the area of the BTLNP from 8,749 hectares to a mere 3,749 hectares. The Protected Area Management Board of the BTLNP has decided to allow the Philippine National Oil Corporation to use the 5,000 hectares of forest for energy generation.

We believe that reducing the already small forest area will compromise the integrity of the fresh water supply not only of Dumaguete City but also the adjacent towns of Sibulan, San Jose, and Valencia which depend on this important watershed area, and we cannot give up this area even for "development purposes".

We believe that this move will compromise the last remaining habitat of southern Negros' endangered and critically-endangered wildlife like the Philippine Spotted Deer, the Writhed Billed Hornbill, the Negros Bleeding Heart Pigeon, Golden-Crowned Flying Fox, the Negros Shrew, the Philippine Leopard Cat, the Philippine Tube-nosed Fruit Bat, and the Negros Forest Frog among others.

We believe that the environment does not have to be sacrificed for the development and that alternative options for the sustainable development of Negros Oriental exist.

We believe that WATER AND BIODIVERSITY ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN ELECTRICITY. Development is important, but water is more essential. Without it, there will be no development, and no life.

We appeal to our government officials to realise that they are putting out future at risk with this move to reduce the area of the BTLNP to less than half of its original size. We have less than three percent forest cover left on Negros Island and we just cannot afford to lose more.

We assert our right to a secure future in an ecologically-stable society, in a world where we will not worry where our water will come from, where we will not worry about flash floods when the heavy rains come, and where we can still enjoy the value of thriving biodiversity in living forests and not just in books.

We need your support. Please add your NAME, COUNTRY/ADDRESS, SCHOOL/ORGANIZATION to the list.

Thank you.