CCNCI REJECTS ABOITIZ POWER AND NATIONAL YOUTH COMMISSION IN PRIDE š³ļøāš
- 11 hours ago
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Environmentalist, along with youth groups, groups condemned the presence of Aboitiz Power and the National Youth Commission in a protest held in front of the Commission on Higher Education on June 27, 2026 during the celebration of Pride PHās Love Laban which are organizations they argued makes a mockery of the militant nature for the struggle of LGBTQIA+ rights.
Groups raised concerns over Aboitiz Powerās Olongapo Solar Power Project which overlapped with the ancestral domains of Aeta communities in San Marcelino, Zambales. Reports showed that the initial construction of the solar project gained support from the community as the first phase of its implementation avoided portions of the forest that were held sacred by the community.
However, opposition grew more vocal from the indigenous communities as plans of expansion were made known to them without free, prior, and informed consent. Furthermore, a huge expanse of the mountainās forest cover was cut down in order to install the solar panels. Livelihoods are also under threat as Aeta Farmers are forced to traverse a much steeper trail that would take over three hours to sell their produce to markets at low price.
Government collusion was also made apparent when the Department of Energy visited the 221 megawatt-peak project which Aboitiz Power described as one of the 22 renewable energy projects that the government agency is āfast trackingā in accordance to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.ās national priorities of accelerating the countryās transition to clean energy.
On the other hand, youth groups stressed that the National Youth Commission has constantly positioned itself against the interest of the constituency they represent. In a post dated on June 18, 2026, the commission released a statement regarding the Toboso 19 Massacre and discounted the innocent lives lost amidst the encounter.
Furthermore, they have also supported on numerous occasions the surveillance initiatives of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) against the youth, which the University of the Philippines Student Council have described as contributing to a climate of fear and suspicion within the campus.
The Climate Change Network for Community-based Initiatives joins our fellow environmentalists, as well as the youth, in condemnation of the Aboitiz Power and the National Youth Commission as the celebration of Pride includes environmental justice and safe spaces for our youth.
In the frontlines of our environmental defense are the countless queer individuals who champion our campaign for climate justice. They occupy a significant portion of our struggle and the disparities they face only worsen the culture of impunity that the LGBTQIA+ community continues to face at present.
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