100,000 signatures for Mt. Kanlaon

[Task Force Kanlaon]

Fellow Negrenses,

For the latest in Save Mt. Kanlaon Coalition's court action filed in Bacolod City, allow me to share with you coalition laywer Atty. Andrea Si's letter and appeal:

"Yesterday, to commemorate the passage into law of R.A. 9154, we had a funeral march for the trees, represented by a cardboard tree inside a black painted cardboard coffin. A brand new black toyota pick-up, with a beautiful wreath of flowers in front and at the back, a sign that read "Kahoy ginautod, kami ga pangalisod" (Trees being cut, we are sad), served as the funeral hearse. We started by joining the province's flag ceremony, the coffin in full view of the government employees who were attending. Then we held a funeral march from the provincial capitol to the DENR office, where the coffin was placed in front of the office and candles lit around the coffin by the participant. The DENR in the province has no quarrel with us so we almost got coffee there.

From the DENR, the mourners went to the provincial capitol where we presented a petition asking the governor and the provincial board to withdraw their endorsement of EDC's geothermal development project in Mt. Kanlaon. With this petition, we submitted about 2,400 signatures, the first installment of our signature campaign. The Governor welcomed us warmly (here we had coffee) and I explained to him what the petition that we gave him is about.

Later, we had inside information that there is a lot of pressure from the national government for the local government to accept the project. It looks like we have to help our governor and our provincial board to stand with us against powers that seek to enforce their will on Negrenses. That's what the hundred thousand signature campaign is all about.

Attached is a sample form but it will be good for different persons or groups to make their own, based on the statement that they want to express or based on the people who will be signing the forms. School groups, Church groups, or other groups can even put their own heading on the form. The more varied the forms, the more evident that this undertaking is truly a popular initiative.

Greenwatch members who are based outside Negros can help with their own signature campaigns. Of course we'll need the forms after you've gotten them signed. You can send them to me at

ANDREA L. SI
Tan Lo Si Bayatan Gidor Saril Law Offices
Lacson-Galo Sts., Bacolod City, 6100.

or you can scan the signed forms and send me the jpeg files as attachments.

Negrenses can leave their signed forms with Fr. Mao of the Social Action Office in the Bishop's house.

I've suggested the end of the month as the deadline for the 100,000 signatures. If every person can commit to getting just 30 signatures (about enough for 1 long size sheet of paper), a hundred thousand signatures will need the commitment of only 3,333.3 persons."

Let us help the Save Mt. Kanlaon Coalition gather signatures. You may also visit and join us at GreenWatch Philippines to download a copy of the forms.

Mt. Kanlaon is our common heritage. Let us unite as ONE, One Negros Ecology!

Don, Head
Task Force Kanlaon

[dgterunner]

No to cutting of trees!!!!!!!! dgtrunner