Philippine map grabbed from 18dao.net

This is it, this is our chance as Filipino bloggers and as online Filipinos, to change the topic of discussions and focus on climate change.

Climate change is a big issue globally. Sadly, many of us don’t know anything about it. More importantly, climate change has taken a back seat to  more pressing, more fundamental problems that a country such as ours need to confront and resolve: Issues like corruption, foreign domination and social inequalities that keep most of our people impoverished and without power.

The supertyphoons Ondoy (Ketsana) and Pepeng (Parma) however has forced us to confront climate change as well. Here we are, a nation that has endured about 20 typhoons in a year, shocked and devastated by massive floods and landslides never before seen by our generation. To add insult to injury, we decry official negligence as the recent disasters struck and we are beginning to realize the effects of many government policies and business practices.

Blog Action Day is thus an opportunity to make climate change an essential and important issue, with bloggers and online Filipinos given a chance to remember the recent past when we had “normal” climate patterns, to take a look at environment policies of government and environment practices of business, to check what has happened to the long list of promises given us in exchange for development. This is also a chance for us to propose solutions, to offer alternative paradigms and views, to raise a call for development that uplifts the poor, corrects bad policies, tears down unfair practices, and conserves the environment for both the present and future.

What we can do today

This is heavy stuff but as we say, big things come from small beginnings. Blog Action Day’s global organizers actually offers us suggestions on how to take this discussion forward, how to participate as bloggers:

• A Technology or Business blog might write about emerging clean tech and how innovative companies might be able to help address the problem of climate change.
• A Health or Lifestyle blog might write about how climate change will affect our children’s health and daily living.
• A Nonprofit or Political blog might write about how climate change is deeply connected to many other issues – such as poverty and conflict.
• A Design blog might write about new trends in eco-friendly or sustainable design.
• A Travel blog might write about the places you want to see now before climate change makes them difficult to access or, well, under the sea.

Resources are a-plenty:

• Agham Youth released yesterday a Blog Action Briefer.
• Gaiatribe has all these links to many other basic materials.
• A German think-tank meanwhile has this study that found the Philippines as the No. 1 victim of climate in 2006 (PDF)
• Primer on Climate Change by Ibon Foundation (PDF)

Another thing you can do is to sign the People’s Protocol on Climate Change.

We can also use our experience through the online and offline bayanihan for relief aid as an example or inspiration for what we can accomplish if we focus on climate change.

Special challenge to political leaders

We also issue this special challenge to those who are planning to run for office in the 2010 elections, specifically the presidential, senatorial and congressional candidates — as well as the incumbents: Join today’s discussion. Tell the people and the world what you think about climate change. What changes can we expect if you run and win?

Those on Facebook, Twitter, Plurk and other social media are also welcome to join the world’s bloggers by sharing notes and links to these materials and posting the Philippine badge to the Blog Action Day 2009.

The day we’ve waited for has arrived. Its already Oct. 15 and it is time to take a stand and to act.

• {caffeine_sparks}: Cyberprotest Blogaction Day against Conass
• adarna’s attic: A Legacy of Bribes, Betrayal and Blatant Corruption
• Alleba Politics: Blog Action Day 2009: No To Con-Ass
• Anak ni Edring: July 26 is Blog Action Day vs. #conass
• ang lungga ng babaeng otes: Hihikab ka lang ba sa bahay mo? o Hihiyaw na…
• Ang Sa Wari Ko: Blog Action Day: No To Charter Change! #conass
• Apol the Great: Goodbye Gloria, Hello Pagbabago!
• as is: BAD Day for Gloria in HK
• ch_ar_me: Dahil dapat lang na manindigan ako.
• Digiputz.com: Nothing short of humiliating
• Digital Manila: Blog Action Day for Real Change & SONA 2009
• ederic@cyberspace: Bakit nga ba ayaw natin sa #conass?
• Filipino Voices: Remembering ConAss
• inghinyero.com: Blog Action Day: ConAss My Ass
• JuanDerPul PINOY: Blog Action Day: No To ConAss
• kamalayan:  (15.) do bad against con-ass!
• Lakan’s Blog: In Support to Blog Action Day 2009 – Condemn Con-Ass!
• Manual to Lyf: Blah Blah Blogs: Ayoko ng Chacha! hmph!
• MenardConnect.com: July 26, 2009 is Blog Action Day
• MGA KATHANG KATOTOHANAN: Break through the Wall
• New Philippine Revolution: No to CON-ASS in SONA
• Newz Around Us: We Join the Cyberprotest, Blog Action Day vs. #conass
• Pagod Ka Na Bang Maging Si Juan?: Pagod Na si Juan sa Con-Ass!
• Radical Pinoy: “Conasse” means…
• The Four-eyed Journal: Blog Action Day: No to #conass
• The Marocharim Experiment:  Enough
• The Philippines and Beyond: Cyberprotest, Blog Action Day vs. #con-ass
• tonyocruz.com: Bring it on, Mrs. Arroyo. Filipinos raring to kick your #conass.
• Topics of surprising obscurity and variety of other small concerns…:  NO to Constitutional Assembly !!

Pre-Blog Action Day posts:

• adarna’s attic:  Cyberprotest, Blog Action Day vs. #con-ass sa July 26
• and life will never be the same: Cyberprotest, Blog Action Day vs. #con-ass tomorrow July 26
• Emj Travel and Photography Blog: Cyberprotest, Blog Action Day vs. #con-ass tomorrow July 26
• eXpress muah: Change
• Kenneth Mendoza: Blog Action Day vs Con-Ass
• myepinOy’s bLOG: Philippines: You saw it coming and yet you did Nothing!
• tonyocruz.com: Filipino bloggers set July 26 as Blog Action Day for real change, not charter change
• TXTPower: Philippines holds Cyberprotest, Blog Action Day on July 26 vs. ConAss

On Twitter: #conass

On Plurk: #conass

On Facebook: Pilipinas Kontra Conass

Isang araw bago ang SONA ni Pangulong Gloria Arroyo, ipahayag at ikalat natin sa Internet ang ating pagtutol sa con-ass na niluluto ng mga kaalyado niyang mambabatas para sa sarili nilang kapakinabangan.

Inaanyayahan ng Bloggers Kapihan ang lahat ng mga Pilipinong netizen na makiisa sa cyberprotest at Blog Action Day vs. #conass sa Linggo, Hulyo 26, 2009.

Sa araw na iyon, isulat natin sa ating mga websites, blogs, at status updates kung bakit ayaw natin sa con-ass.

Mag-blog tayo tungkol sa con-ass at gamitin ang blog action day web banners sa ibaba at ang anti-con-ass banners sa NoToConAss.com

Narito ang mga iba pang iminumungkahi naming gawin natin sa Linggo:

• Online petition. Lumagda sa Kabataan Kontra Cha-cha online petition.
• Text vs con-ass. Ipada sa 09071134503 ang message sa ganitong format: [no2conass] [space] [your message].
• Facebook groups at causes. Sumali sa groups at causes gaya ng Pilipinas Kontra Con-Ass, No to Con-Ass!, at Stop Con-Ass Now!.

Kung balak ninyong sumali sa cyberprotest day, mag-comment lamang sa ibaba.

Paki-link din sa post na ito sa inyong blog post sa Linggo.

Blog action day buttons:

<a href=”http://www.bloggerskapihan.com/2009/07/22/cyberprotest-day-vs-con-ass-sa-hulyo-26-linggo/”><img src=”http://www.bloggerskapihan.com/images/240badconass.jpg”></a>

<a href=”http://www.bloggerskapihan.com/2009/07/22/cyberprotest-day-vs-con-ass-sa-hulyo-26-linggo/”><img src=”http://www.bloggerskapihan.com/images/200badconass.jpg”></a>

<a href=”http://www.bloggerskapihan.com/2009/07/22/cyberprotest-day-vs-con-ass-sa-hulyo-26-linggo/”><img src=”http://www.bloggerskapihan.com/images/150badconass.jpg”></a>

<a href=”http://www.bloggerskapihan.com/2009/07/22/cyberprotest-day-vs-con-ass-sa-hulyo-26-linggo/”><img src=”http://www.bloggerskapihan.com/images/125badconass.jpg”></a>

This year’s edition takes on the issue of poverty, a reality we face every single day. On Wednesday, let’s take on this issue by blogging (or micro-bloggin) about it through text, audio, video or photos. You decide how.

Our poorest countrymen — the minimum-wage earners, the farmers, the unemployed and underemployed, the minorities et al — deserve to have their voices heard because their problem is our problem, their redemption is ours too.

More info at the Blog Action Day 2008 Philippines blog.