IT DIDN’T BEGIN with a press conference or a politician’s promise. It began on the slopes of Mt. Manunggal, in the shade of mangroves in Mindanao, and in the beating hearts of ordinary citizens ready to fight for a livable future.
Welcome to the unfolding of a real movement — the Green Multi-Party Partnership — led by the Green Party of the Philippines (GPP), and grounded in one bold idea:
“Change doesn’t trickle from the top. It erupts from the ground.”
And erupt it did.
Visayas Rising: On the Hills, Hope Took Root
On July 6, 2025, environmental leaders from across the Visayas gathered at Mt. Manunggal in Balamban, Cebu. The symbolic location wasn’t lost on anyone — once a site of historical resistance, it now became fertile ground for a new kind of uprising: environmental action.
The summit kicked off with “Earth Caring” — not a token activity, but a reminder that activism starts with care, not conflict. From there, GPP Chairperson David D’Angelo and National President Joseph Ramos called on everyone to take ownership of their local ecosystems, reminding us that national agendas must be rooted in local truths.
Engr. Richard Peñaflor brought clarity through numbers via the Green Survey, while Baltz Tribunalo, Cebu’s provincial convenor, brought it home with insights that spoke to the real lives of farmers, fisherfolk, and forest defenders. The youth, led by Tesha Arcamo of Kabataan Para sa Kalikasan, added the fire — creative, fierce, and forward-looking.
A World Café-style consultation brewed rich dialogue:
How do we resist unsustainable development?
How do we protect indigenous knowledge?
What does climate justice look like from the ground up?
The day ended not with speeches, but with structure: Interim Visayas Officers were elected. The movement, no longer just a wave of voices, was now building muscle and memory.
Mindanao Rising: Planting Roots, Literally and Politically
From July 25–28, the movement shifted south. This time, it was Mindanao’s turn to rise — and rise it did.
The forum began in Cotabato City and moved to Koronadal, but before the policy talk came something far more poetic: Mangrove planting across the region. As participants waded through the brackish shores, they weren’t just planting trees — they were planting intentions.
“This is our line in the sand,” said one participant. “A living reminder that we were here — and we cared.”
On July 27, things turned strategic. A full day of consultations and Focus Group Discussions revealed a pattern: local leaders are not short on vision — they’re short on support. Using meta-cards, participants named their pain points and proposed grounded solutions: livelihood insecurity, climate impacts, gaps in environmental education, and lack of funding.
But these weren’t just rants. They were blueprints — soon to be part of a unified national green agenda.
By the end of the forum, new Mindanao officers were elected, and Engr. Penaflor led a moving commitment ceremony, anchoring the personal to the political.
From Local Murmurs to National Momentum
Across both islands, one thing was clear: this wasn’t about branding or partisanship. This was about survival, solidarity, and systemic change.
These consultations were joined by GPP External Vice President Ross Flores Del Rosario and Communications Officer Ranne Tubig, who ensured that everything — from finances to facilitation — stayed transparent and people-centered.
The outputs from Visayas and Mindanao will soon feed into a historic Red-Green National Consultation, setting the stage for an integrated green platform rooted not in ideology, but in lived experience.
Because the Planet Isn’t Optional
One thing that stood out was the tone of these gatherings. This wasn’t “doom and gloom” environmentalism. It was hopeful, gritty, occasionally funny, always human. People laughed, got tired, got inspired, and did the work anyway.
As one youth leader put it, “We don’t need to be perfect. We just need to keep planting — ideas, trees, hope.”
In a country battered by typhoons, flattened by floods, and betrayed by broken systems, the real climate solution isn’t a miracle. It’s a movement — and it’s growing.
So if you’re waiting for a sign to act, to join, to speak up — this is it.
Because the Green Party isn’t just launching a political platform.
They’re planting a future. And it’s one we all have the right — and duty — to grow.