Rodne Galicha

Rodne Galicha y Rodiño (born 2 June 1979, San Fernando, Sibuyan Island, Romblon, Philippines, eldest son of government employee Nenita Rodiño y Romero of San Fernando, Romblon, and postman Rodrigo Galicha y Galindez of Alcantara, Romblon) is a Filipino environmentalist^[1] and human rights activist currently involved in climate justice,^[2][3] biodiversity conservation and natural resources conflict management.^[4] He is the author of a pocket-sized book on emerging environment issues: We Are Nature.^[5] On 5 December 2013, he received the 2013 Hero for the Environment national individual award from the Center for Environmental Concerns in collaboration with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources of the Republic of the Philippines.^[6] He now serves as Southeast Asia Coordinator of the Washington-based NGO Bank Information Center^[7] while doing his voluntary work for ecological and cultural organization called Bayay Sibuyanon^[8] in his home-island of Sibuyan.

Education

Galicha studied elementary at San Fernando Central School and finished his secondary education at Sibuyan Polytechnic College (now Romblon State University). Desiring to become a priest someday, he took up preparatory college courses at the San Lorenzo Ruiz Seminary in Romblon, Romblon. He was then admitted to the Royal and Pontifical Interdiocesan Seminary of the Philippines, the University of Santo Tomas - Central Seminary where he stayed as resident seminarian for four years.

A graduate of Baccalaureate in Philosophy and Bachelor of Arts Classical from the Faculties of Ecclesiastical Studies,^[9] Galicha taught^[10] environmental ethics, sociology, Philippine history and philosophy at Colegio de San Juan de Letran in Intramuros, Manila from 2002 to 2005. He became a visiting scholar at the Catholic University of Louvain in 2009.

Environmental activism

Protecting the biodiversity and natural resources of Sibuyan Island (known as the Galapagos of Asia) through sustainable programs and social media, Galicha has been serving as executive director^[11] of Sibuyan Island Sentinels League for Environment Inc. (Sibuyan ISLE) since 2007. His group, Sibuyanons Against Mining (SAM) successfully campaigned against nickel mining giant BHP Billiton and lobbied for the suspension of mineral extraction of a Canada-based mining company being operated by a Filipino corporation.^[12][13] He also helped the Romblon Ecumenical Forum Against Mining (REFAM) in a successful campaign against a Canada-based mining giant Ivanhoe.^[14] He also helped organize Mining Action Philippines - Australia (MAP-Oz), a mining watchdog based in Australia.

In June 2008, when typhoon Frank hit the Philippines, passenger ship M/V Princess of the Stars sank near Sibuyan Island and toxic materials including pesticide endosulfan were feared to contaminate the sea. In a statement with Ecowaste Coalition, Galicha lamented that the possible contamination of Sibuyan Island and its marine environment with endosulfan, tamaron and other chemical cargoes, and bunker fuel from the sunken vessel is already affecting the life and livelihood of our people who depend mainly on the abundance of the sea.^[15] Together with various environment organizations affiliated with Ecowaste Coalition, they called for a ban on all uses of endosulfan (and successfully banned by COP5)^[16] and return it to its Israel-based manufacturer, and to immediately resolve all problems brought about by the maritime tragedy.^[17]

As a young environment conservationist, Galicha sees that Threats are challenges. If I yield to threats, fear comes... The risks involved in this advocacy are inevitable. Being an environment advocate is a lifelong commitment. We are all called to discover for ourselves the amazing link of our lives to nature. Unless we are unable to accept that we are part of the totality of nature, we will continue to look at it as a mere subject (for utilization). This we do to learn from the past, address the abuses of the present and pay for our ecological debts for the next generations to come.^[18]

Engaging with various environmental movements in the Philippines, Galicha became the youngest member of the first Board of Trustees^[19] of Green Convergence for Safe Food, Healthy Environment and Sustainable Economy (Green Convergence), one of the country's largest green alliances.

Climate Advocacy

As climate leader and advocate, Galicha serves as district manager for the Philippines of The Climate Reality Project, a global movement founded by Nobel Laureate and former United States Vice President Al Gore. He has been consistently trained in climate science by Mr. Gore and expert scientists of the project in Australia,^[20] Indonesia^[21] and the United States. Presenting the slideshow developed by experts and Gore himself, he has reached more than 50,000 people in more than a hundred events in the Philippines, informing the grassroots about the climate crisis and solutions. In September 2011, he participated in the 24 Hours of Reality online program in New York, USA, as one of the 24 speakers across 24 timezones worldwide.^[22] He was watched by about 2.6 million online audience.^[23][24] Recognizing his experience in climate education, he has been chosen to mentor in climate change trainings in Jakarta, Indonesia (2011), California (2012), Chicago (2013), USA,^[25][26] Johannesburg, South Africa (2014), and Melbourne, Australia (2014).

When Typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines, Galicha described the cataclysmic event as climate crime, thus, climate justice must be sought.^[27][28][29]

In the recent 24 Hours of Reality with more than 11 million online audience watching, he was featured in a field video report from the Philippines showing how Sibuyan Island is taking sustainable energy seriously.^[30]

Mining Reform

A Haribon Foundation member, Galicha was involved in Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM) traveling to different mining-affected communities in the Philippines - exposing the struggles of indigenous peoples and the grassroots, including human rights violations and environmental degradation. He supports the passage of the Alternative Minerals Management Bills pending in the House of Representatives and calls for the repeal of the Mining Act of 1995.^[31]

Galicha has been recently actively involved in the Save Palawan Movement aiming to save the Philippine's last ecological frontier from mining destruction - Palawan. The movement has already gathered more than seven million signatures to halt mining in Palawan and other key biodiversity areas in the country, critical watersheds, agricultural areas, tourism sites and island ecosystems, among others.

8Rs

For sustainable living, Galicha developed and promoted the 8Rs (starting with the 3Rs) which can simply be done at home and in communities: reduce, reuse, recycle, repair, refuse, rethink, rainforest and recollect.^[32]

Galicha has been invited to talk about youth empowerment, environmental sustainability, climate change, human rights and ecology in various events in countries in Australia, Europe, Asia and the United States. He blogs at http://rodgalicha.com.

References