XU-NSTP students continue to campaign online for Climate Justice

Andre’ Socorro F. Doria ┃Student, NSTP AGC. ┃

Xavier Ateneo students campaign online to boost awareness on environmental issues of the climate crisis through the National Service Training Program (NSTP), in partnership with the Philippine Movement for Climate Justice (PMCJ).

Compared to NSTPs activities during the face-to-face classes, students from the last school year engaged online through social media campaigns for Climate Justice–the call to address unfair conditions and inequities by government and corporations.

According to one of the XU-NSTP Formators, Ms. Dennise S. Gonzales, “We believed that the youth’s role in nation-building does not stop during a disaster or a crisis. The youth's engagement in society is more needed right now.”

The societal engagement is part of XU-NSTP’s goal of empowering students to develop socio-civic consciousness and contribute to nation-building along with PMCJ, a national movement that campaigns on the issues of climate change and its impacts on the most vulnerable areas.

In an interview with the Mindanao Coordinator and Focal Person for PMCJ, Ms. Rara Ada said, “Bagamat ngayon ay online yung buong duration ng engagement with XU-NSTP students, hindi ito naging hadlang para ibahagi ang aming kaalaman at karanasan sa laban para sa hustisyang pangklima.”

[Despite that we’re online for the entire duration of the engagement with XU-NSTP students, it did not hamper us to share our knowledge and experience in the fight for Climate Justice.]

While all NSTP classes underwent an environment protection module during their NSTP 1, the AGC section was the only class in NSTP 2 that focused on environmental topics through virtual sessions with PMCJ facilitators.

“The students were not limited to serving a community in a specific location in Cagayan de Oro City. Some of them are not even here. They are all around Mindanao or the Philippines. We were also able to partner with institutions that are outside the city.  We were able to work together on issues and concerns that do not only affect the Kagay-anons but the Filipinos in general,” Ms. Gonzales added.

The whole class formed four groups with one area of focus each namely on Energy; Food, Life, Water, and Climate (FWLC); Adaptation and Building Safe, Sustainable, Resilient Communities (BSSRC); and Climate Emergency.

Over the term, the students underwent lectures on environmental concepts and issues until they, too, proposed plans of action that materialized into informative online posts ranging from articles, infographics, videos, and survey forms.

XU-NSTP Students create and post diverse content in different areas assigned under the Philippine Movement for Climate Justice’s campaigns. Illustrations from XU-NSTP Facebook Page.

The Energy campaign of the first group was facilitated by Ms. Ada who focused on renewable energy sources as an alternative to the harmful processes of coal-fired plants. The Energy campaign of the first group was facilitated by Ms. Ada who focused on renewable energy sources as an alternative to the harmful processes of coal-fired plants. Ms. Stacey Marisse K. Malbasias, one of the students, noted how close we are to being 'too late’ in addressing the climate crisis.“They (NSTP & PMCJ staff) made me realize how critical our global state is and raising awareness alone is not enough. Concrete measures, such as declaring a climate emergency, are required to mitigate the climate crisis immediately,” she added.

Another student, Julianne Boiser, also campaigned for the awareness and protection of the watersheds of Mindanao wherein 20 of which are in critical condition.In a span of two weeks, Ms. Boiser’s group shared content across different platforms and she noted that “Consistent actions can make a big difference. Each of us can always begin at home and can start making significant changes that will help our environment.”

Members of the Philippine Movement for Climate Justice and their current partners including XU-NSTP students attend a Climate Emergency and Climate Justice orientation on July 29, 2021, via Zoom. Photo from PMCJ Secretariat.

The event was attended by Xavier University’s NSTP students and instructors along with PMCJ’s other partners namely De La Salle University St. Benilde, Youth for Climate Justice or Y4CJ, Kapakanan Quezon, and other PMCJ member organizations.The event was attended by Xavier University’s NSTP students and instructors along with PMCJ’s other partners namely De La Salle University St. Benilde, Youth for Climate Justice or Y4CJ, Kapakanan Quezon, and other PMCJ member organizations.

Ever since the partnership between XU-NSTP and PMCJ started in 2019, Ms. Ada and other staff members from PMCJ have held discussions with the students focusing on the importance of individual and collective climate action.

Since then, some of the former students have remained active in the cause by voluntarily attending various fora and educational discussions even beyond campus classrooms. ###