ALL ABOUT ME: AN INTRODUCTION

Pardon for introducing myself in my own blog. There have been questions about (and suggestions to post) my background from blog readers and friends. I thought it's better to post a brief biosketch to save time answering e-mails asking for my background.

Dr. Ebinezer R. Florano is Assistant Professor of the University of the Philippines-National College of Public Administration and Governance (UP-NCPAG).

Dr. Florano obtained his doctoral degree in Public Administration from the International Christian University (ICU) in Tokyo, Japan in June 2004. ICU is one of the elite universities in Japan where classes are held in English for the benefit of non-Japanese speaking students. He was under the supervision of Dr. Tatsuro Kunugi, former Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund, and later, Dr. Thomas Schoenbaum, a world-reknown scholar of international trade and environmental law. His doctoral dissertation is entitled, "Regional Environmental Governance: A Study on the ASEAN Regional Haze Action Plan" which he wrote with funding from the Fuji Xerox Setsutaro Kobayashi Memorial Fund Foreign Students Research Grant. The grant enabled him to travel to Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines in 2003 to gather data. In Indonesia, he spent his days at the headquarters of the ASEAN Secretariat (Environment Unit) to collect information.

He also have two master’s degrees in International Relations which he obtained from the International University of Japan (IUJ) in June 1999, and Public Administration (major in Public Policy Analysis and Program Administration) from the then UP-College of Public Administration (CPA) in November 1995 (Dean's List). He also obtained his bachelor's degree in Public Administration from the same college in 1991 (cum laude).

Dr. Florano has provided consultancy services to various local, national, and international organizations, mainly in the area of “Environmental Governance.” His most recent job (2005-2006) was with the Environment Unit of the Secretariat of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Jakarta, Indonesia where he wrote the draft of the Third ASEAN State of the Environment Report 2006 or ASOER 2007 (I can send a PDF copy: I will post the "unpublished" data of the ASOER 2006 from my files in this blogsite soon).

Dr. Florano just finished writing his fellowship report entitled, “Rapid Appraisal of the Philippine Compliance with, and Implementation of Its Various Multilateral Environmental Agreements’ Obligations.” He was ably assisted by Eugene Antonio Dig and Prejean Prieto. The fellowship was funded by the University of the Philippines. (Still looking for funds/sponsors to publish the 400+ -thick report).

Courses Taught at UP-NCPAG (as of March 2007):

1. Public Administration (PA) 11: Introduction to Public Administration
2. PA 108: Philippine Administrative System
3. PA 113: Office and Systems Management
4. PA 141: Public Policy Analysis
5. PA 161: Ethics and Accountability in Public Office
6. PA 191: Introduction to Environmental Governance
7. PA 191: Multi-Level Environmental Governance
8. PA 191: Environmental Compliance and Sustainable Development
9. PA 191: International Affairs Management

Research and Teaching Interests:
a. Environmental Governance
b. Transboundary (Haze) Pollution
c. International Environmental Law
d. ASEAN
e. Policy Analysis
f. International Relations/Foreign Policy Analysis
f. 日本語　「Japanese Language」

If you have questions or feedback, I can be reached at efloranoy@yahoo.com

"AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH" - FREE FILM SHOWING AT SM MOVIE THEATERS

This might come a bit too late but SM management has decided to show, for free, the documentary "An Inconvenient Truth" on 22 April 2007 at 1 p.m., 3 p.m., and 5 p.m. Please watch this eye-opening documentary which won the 2007 Academy Award for Documentary Feature and Best Original Song. Call the following SM City movie theaters for details:

1. SM MALL OF ASIA - 5560104-05
2. SM MEGAMALL - 6331901, 6384270
3. SM NORTH EDSA - 9295452
4. SM MANILA - 5239240/05
5. SM SAN LAZARO - 7862487-88
6. SM CENTERPOINT- STA. MESA - 7161416, 7160647
7. SM FAIRVIEW - 4176811, 9350749
8. SM SOUTHMALL - 8066888, 8066782
9. SM PAMPANGA - 8311000 loc 1610-11, (045) 9637681-85
10. SM CLARK - (045) 6255844-45
11. SM BAGUIO - 8311000 loc 1625-26, (074) 6197838/39/41
12. SM CEBU - 8311000 loc 1637, (032) 2313876
13. SM DAVAO - 8311000 loc 1605-06, (082) 2976998
14. SM BACOLOD - (034) 7081010, 8311000 loc 1650

EARTH DAY CELEBRATIONS IN THE PHILIPPINES

For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV

Philippine government agencies and environmental NGOs will join the world in celebrating Earth Day on 22 April 2007.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources, headed by Secretary Angelo Reyes, has lined up several activities for the whole month of April. Go to its website for the list.

Top rock bands, musicians, and artists will celebrate it with a big bang - a concert entitled EARTH DAY JAM 2007 - on 20 April, 7:00 p.m., at Tomas Morato Strip in Quezon City. ADMISSION IS FREE. The Philippines will be jamming with other countries on this day (meaning similar activities will be done in other countries). See poster above for details.

The website of the Philippine Sustainable Development Network (PSDN) says PSDN has Earth Day activities but I cannot see any when I visited it. But readers might want to take a second look.

For an overview of Earth Day activities worldwide, see the website of the Earth Day Network.

APRIL 22 IS EARTH DAY

EcoGov Blog joins all Earth-loving readers in celebrating Earth Day on 22 April 2007. Celebrate because we still are able to enjoy Earth's bounty. BUT be reminded that Earth's bounty is being depleted and dirtied. Most importantly, if global warming continues, in the future, if predictions are correct, we won't be able to celebrate it anymore. You know what I mean.

Here's a brief historical look at the beginning of the celebration of Earth Day (taken from Wikipedia):

Responding to wide spread environmental degradation, United States Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin called for an Environmental Teach-in or Earth Day to be held on April 22, 1970. Over 20 million people participated and it is now observed each year by more than 500 million people and national governments in 175 countries. Senator Gaylord Nelson, an environmental activist in the U.S. Senate, took a leading role in organizing the celebration, to demonstrate popular political support for an environmental agenda. He modeled it on the highly effective Vietnam War protests of the time. Senator Nelson selected Denis Hayes (a Harvard student and Stanford graduate) as the National Coordinator of activities. The nationwide event included opposition to the Vietnam War on the agenda. Pete Seeger was a keynote speaker and performer at the event held in Washington DC. Paul Newman and Ali McGraw attended the event held in New York City.

According to Santa Barbara Community Environmental Council:

"The story goes that Earth Day was conceived by Senator Gaylord Nelson after a trip he took to Santa Barbara right after that horrific oil spill off our coast in 1969. He was so outraged by what he saw that he went back to Washington and passed a bill designating April 22 as a national day to celebrate the earth."

Senator Nelson stated that Earth Day "worked" because of the spontaneous response at the grassroots level. 20 million demonstrators and the thousands of schools and local communities participated.

Earth Day proved extremely popular in the United States and around the world. The first Earth Day, in 1970, had participants and celebrants in two thousand colleges and universities, roughly ten thousand primary and secondary schools, and hundreds of communities across the United States. More importantly, it "brought 20 million Americans out into the spring sunshine for peaceful demonstrations in favor of environmental reform."

Senator Nelson directly credited the first Earth Day with persuading U.S. politicians that environmental legislation had a substantial, lasting constituency. Many important laws were passed by the Congress in the wake of the 1970 Earth Day, including the Clean Air Act, laws to protect drinking water, wild lands and the ocean.

Now observed in 175 countries, and coordinated by the non-profit Earth Day Network, www.earthday.org, Earth Day is the largest secular holiday in the world.

VOTE FOR JOSE MIGUEL ZUBIRI FOR SENATOR!

This blog enjoins Filipino voters to consider REPRESENTATIVE JOSE MIGUEL ZUBIRI for Senator this coming 14 May 2007 elections. Why am I openly supporting him? Rep. Zubiri led the passage of Republic Act No. 9367 otherwise known as the 2007 Biofuels Act (An Act to Direct the Use of Biofuels, Establishing for this Purpose the Biofuel Program, Appropriating Funds Therefor, and for Other Purposes) which would help pave the way for the use of biofuels in the transport sector of the country. So what? The Biofuels Act, if properly and seriously implemented, would reduce the dependency of the country on oil which depletes the country's dollar reserves. Less dependency on oil will mean less Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. Hopefully, less GHG emissions in the Philippines will lessen the risk of global warming. That's the sole reason why I want to see him get a seat in the Senate.

MISS EARTH 2007

Watch the 2007 Miss Philippines-Earth coronation on April 29, live from the U.P. Theater at 7:00 in the evening. Telecast via ABS-CBN and The Filipino Channel.

I owe a lot to Miss Philippines-Earth (MPE) 2006 for the well-attended academic activities which I organized in August 2005 (re: Sympo on Jatropha curcas, a.k.a., Tuba-Tuba), and most recently, in March 2007 (re: Special Lecture on Environmental Leadership by UNEP's 2007 Champion of the Earth Elisea "Bebet" Gozun; see 1 April 2007 posting). MPE 2006, in the person of Miss Catherine "Cathy" Yu Untalan, was so gracious to plant a Tuba-Tuba seedling under the scorching heat of the 11 a.m. sun in August 2005 at the backyard of UP-NCPAG after the interesting symposium (see picture above; I will write about Jatropha curcas later). I told the audience at that time that with Miss Untalan's wit, she might win the Miss Earth 2006 crown which no Filipina has so far won since the pageant's inception in 2004. Unfortunately, she did not bag the much-coveted crown but placed 2nd runner up with the title "Miss Earth-Water 2006" which is the highest rank a Filipina has achieved so far in the three years existence of the pageant. Below are quotations from Miss Untalan:

nWhat she says about herself: “I recently graduated from the University of the Philippines Diliman with a degree in Psychology. I've always enjoyed meeting new faces and going to different places and trying new things. I spent most of my life in a military base, which taught me discipline in a special way. My faith in God keeps me grounded.”

n

nHer environmental platform:“I would like to spearhead environmental awareness programs which will inculcate responsilbility in our youth.”

CALL FOR PAPERS: ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE

Readers are invited to submit conference papers, especially on Environmental Governance, to the International Conference on "Public Administration and Governance at the Forefront of Change: Dimensions, Dynamics, Dysfunctions, and Solutions" to be held on 5-7 December 2007 in Manila, Philippines (venue to be announced). Deadline for the submission of abstract is on 31 May 2007. Submit them to the following e-mail addresses: fevmendo@yahoo.com, dean_up_ncpag@yahoo.com, abrillantes2001@yahoo.com. COPY FURNISH ME AT efloranoy@yahoo.com SO I CAN FOLLOW UP YOUR ABSTRACT SUBMISSION. Details of the conference are below.

Overview

The exciting field of Public Administration is at the forefront of change and reform. Challenges as to its basic relevance as a field of study and practice have been raised at the global level, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region where a mix of development states conglomerate. Issues of good governance- transparency and accountability, rule of law, human rights and poverty alleviation, access to justice, participation and service delivery especially of the disadvantaged and marginalized- are confronted by academics and practitioners alike, jolting them out of their ivory towers (mainly the former) to work with the “outside world” and reflect and act on proposed remedies and solutions as citizens of the world.

“New” fields and concerns have been emerging dynamically – e-governance, an “inconvenient truth” on sustainable development, regulatory governance and competition, corporate social responsibility, citizen engagement, synergy between the government and non-government organizations, geo-politics, sustainable human development, and the millennium declaration. Indeed the field is at the forefront of transformation and is being challenged to reconfigure and reposition itself, as well as reexamine its roles and contributions in making the world a better place to live in.

Objective

Capitalizing on the inherent openness of academics and practitioners of the field for self-reflection, advocacy and change, an international conference will be held in Manila, Philippines on December 5-7, 2007. It will focus on the dimensions, dynamics and dysfunctions of development changes, “aberrations”, problems and confusions in Public Administration and Governance (PAG), and explore possible opportunities, remedies, strategies, solutions and best practices to address these concerns.

Specifically, it aims to:

v Discuss challenges, threats, and issues in the theory and practice of Public Administration and Governance, and how these impinge on sustainable human development, protection of human rights and poverty alleviation

v Explore innovations, breakthroughs, emerging trends, best practices and “new” solutions, remedies and strategies to address these challenges; and

v Draw lessons on the roles and contributions of Public Administration and Governance in development, change and transformation

Thematic Areas

Focus will be on the following thematic areas:

A. Issues, Challenges and Threats:

• Relevance of PAG Education
• Academic Excellence Beyond the Classroom
• Public Sector Reform
• Political Chaos and Changes
• Poverty Alleviation and Globalization
• Corruption Control and Rebuilding Trust
• Access of the Poor and Disadvantaged to Justice, Participation and Services
• Human Rights and Governance
• Environmental Degradation
• Peace and Security
• International Terrorism
• Millennium Declaration and Development Goals
• Global Rules and International Trade
• Climate Change, Global Warming and Natural Disasters
• Fiscal Management and Development Financing
• Others

2. Innovations, Emerging Trends, Best Practices and Solutions
• E-governance
• Geo-informatics
• Judicial governance
• Legislative governance
• Regulatory Administration, including environmental governance
• Corporate Social Responsibility
• Global Citizenship
• Charter Change, Federalism, Local and National Government Relations
• Collaboration, Synergy and Engagement between and among Government and Non-government, including Business Sectors, both local and international
• Public-private partnership
• Human rights approach to development
• International covenants and local policy making
• Transparency and Accountability Watch
• Others

3. Roles, Scenarios and Contributions of Public Administration and Governance in Development, Change and Transformations

Presentation Format

Papers will be presented in Plenary or simultaneous Panel Sessions of 2 hours each. There will be 3 paper presentations per session; 20 minutes will be allotted per paper presentation. Open forum will follow after all papers shall have been presented.

Language of Presentation

English

Call for Papers

Academicians, practitioners and others interested are invited to submit their papers dealing with any of the conference thematic areas. Authors must submit an abstract of about 750 words (not more than two pages) in English that should summarize the arguments and issues being addressed by the paper. It should situate the arguments within the broader theme of the conference. Submitted abstracts will be reviewed based on quality and relevance to the conference themes/sub-themes.

Guidelines for Submission

Abstracts must be submitted electronically as an e-mail attachment in MS Word format not later than 31 May 2007 to the Conference Organizing Committee at:

fevmendo@yahoo.com

dean_up_ ncpag@yahoo.com

abrillantes2001@yahoo.com

Letter of Acceptance

A letter of acceptance confirming refereed acceptance of your paper will be sent to you by 30 July 2007. Once the submission has been accepted, the presenter is required to send an electronic copy of the full paper by 30 October 2007.

Format

For inclusion in the CD-ROM conference kit, papers submitted on or before 30 October 2007 must conform to the following guidelines:

v Papers must include an abstract

v Paper length is up to 25 pages (including

abstract, references and figures/tables)

v A4-sized paper

v 1-inch margins all around

v 12-point Times New Roman font (except title in

16 pt)

v Text double-spaced and flushed left

v With references

Copyright belongs to the author/s and they are free to publish their papers elsewhere. However, UPNCPAG and NAPSIPAG reserve the right to upload the papers (and videotaped presentations, if any) on their websites and publish the same in their future publications.

About the Organizers

This international conference is organized by the National College of Public Administration and Governance (NCPAG), University of the Philippines (UP) and the Network of Asia Pacific Schools and Institutes of Public Administration and Governance (NAPSIPAG).

Launched in 2004 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia with technical assistance from the Asian Development Bank, NAPSIPAG exists to strengthen the capacity, professional competence, collaboration and community of schools and institutes of Public Administration and Governance in Asia and the Pacific. It has a Steering Committee which provides direction to the network and a Secretariat located at INTAN, Malaysia.

Its Steering Committee is composed of the China National School of Administration (chair); and National Institute of Public Administration (INTAN)-Malaysia; the NCPAG, UP; the Institute of Public Enterprise (IPE), Osmania University in Hyderabad, India; and the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, the National University of Singapore, as members.

The UP NCPAG is the premier college for teaching, research and extension services in Public Administration and Governance in the Philippines. It has been the secretariat of the Eastern Regional Organization for Public Administration (EROPA), another network of schools and professionals in Public Administration. Established in 1952 as an institute to serve in nation building, UPNCPAG will be celebrating its 55th year this year.

HAPPY EASTER 2007!

EcoGov joins the Christiandom in celebrating Easter Sunday 2007.

Excerpts from the Homily of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI at Saint Peter's Basilica, Holy Saturday, 7 April 2007

"In the resurrection of Jesus, love has been shown to be stronger than death, stronger than evil. Love made Christ descend, and love is also the power by which he ascends. The power by which he brings us with him. In union with his love, borne aloft on the wings of love, as persons of love, let us descend with him into the world’s darkness, knowing that in this way we will also rise up with him. On this night, then, let us pray: Lord, show us that love is stronger than hatred, that love is stronger than death. Descend into the darkness and the abyss of our modern age, and take by the hand those who await you. Bring them to the light! In my own dark nights, be with me to bring me forth! Help me, help all of us, to descend with you into the darkness of all those people who are still waiting for you, who out of the depths cry unto you! Help us to bring them your light! Help us to say the “yes” of love, the love that makes us descend with you and, in so doing, also to rise with you. Amen!"

(Note: The picture above is a gift from a Mexican friend I met in Tokyo, Japan around 2000. I always keept it in my wallet. At the back, a prayer entitled, "Bianaventurados.." is printed).

ECOGOV COURSES AT UP-NCPAG

In a survey I conducted right after my back-to-back special lecture with Atty. Oposa in August 2005 (see earliest posting) with 67 undergraduate and doctoral students, majority agreed that there is a need to offer courses on Environmental Governance (EcoGov) at UP-NCPAG, and that the latter should offer it.

However, almost a third of them believed that UP-NCPAG may not be prepared yet to offer those courses. The tables show the answers from the 67 respondents.

Almost half (43%) of the total number of respondents would like to have it taught at the undergraduate level (understandble because majority of the respondents are undegraduate students). Majority (69%) of them will register and attend EcoGov courses. The most interesting courses for them are: Philippine Environmental Laws (64%) and Environmental Management Techniques (64%). These are followed by: Introduction to Environmental Governance (60%), Environmental Economics (55%), Environmental Policy Analysis (53%), Environmental Compliance and Sustainable Development (53%), Environmental Ethics (50%), International Environmental Law and Treaties (44%), and Theories of Environmentalism (23%).

A MILLION THANKS TO YOU/心から、本当にありがとうございました

From above down, left to right: Dr. T. Kunugi/Dr. T. Schoenbaum/ Dr. J. Wasilewski/Dr. T. Rivera

I have been posting lots of my ideas about EcoGov. I think by now, I should remember those people who molded me into what I am now (disclaimer: any malfeasance, mine alone:->). They were very patient with me during my doctoral studies at the International Christian University (ICU) from 2000-2004. These "patient" academicians are:

DR. TATSURO KUNUGI - who patiently supervised me from day one until his retirement
DR. THOMAS SCHOENBAUM - who patiently took over the responsibility left by Prof. Kunugi
DR. JACQUELINE WASILEWSKI - who patiently "edited" my 500++-pages draft
DR. TEMARIO RIVERA - who patiently "sheltered" me in his house and gave useful comments
DR. KANO YAMAMOTO - who patiently asked me Earth-shaking questions during my defense (so sorry, I cannot find a picture and a site for him yet)

I have to mention also the mentoring on International Relations by PROF. KAZUHIKO OKUDA during my MA International Relations studies at the International University of Japan (IUJ) from 1997-1999.

MANAGING THE CAMPUS' MULTIFUNCTIONAL SPACE

My thoughts on managing the campus space of U.P. Diliman. Excerpts from the October 2006 issue of U.P. Forum.

Managing the campus’s multifunctional space

Alicor L. Panao

The UP Diliman campus is not simply a popular destination for those engaged in intellectual pursuits. Through the years, it has come to be known as a venue for a diverse range of activities, including political demonstrations, festivals, romantic dates, wedding pictorials, ghost hunting, recreation activities, weekend markets, public art, and even informal urban settlement. On any given day, one might see banners protesting the dismissal of contract janitorial personnel flying high against the pillars of Quezon Hall, UP’s seat of administration; a gaggle of tourists eagerly posing beneath the Oblation, the University’s iconic naked male statue; and groups of people having picnics, jogging, playing soccer, or simply sitting down to chat in and around the famous lagoon and Sunken Garden.

(skipped paragraphs)

Dr. Ebinezer Florano, who teaches environmental management (Note: Should be "environmental governance") at the National College of Public Administration and Governance (NCPAG), is also in favor of putting up fences around the campus. “A good administrator would always put the interests of students, staff and faculty members above anything else,” says Florano. “The fact that we cannot regulate who comes in and out of our space makes the entire campus an administrator’s nightmare.”

Sanctioned tolerance

Rallies provide a good example of how relatively easy it is for people to move in and out of the campus. Quezon Hall, for example, is becoming a favorite converging point among political organizations, neighboring urban poor communities, workers, and various other interest groups who have little or nothing to do with the University, during mass actions about issues that may not even concern the University or its officials.

On August 8, for instance, protesters comprising members of the UP Janitors Association (JSA) and their sympathizers formed a picket on the south wing area of Quezon Hall when Care Best International (CBI) was awarded the contract to perform janitorial services for the south sector of the campus. The protesters kept their vigil for several days hoping to make the University intervene and compel the new agency to absorb displaced workers from the previous agency despite the fact that no employer-employee relationship actually exists between UP and the employees of any of the subcontracting agencies. The University adopted a policy of contracting out janitorial and security services since 1984 in compliance with the procurement provisions of RA 9184 (An Act Providing for the Modernization, Standardization and Regulation of Procurement Activities of the Government). Since then, all janitorial services have been rendered by private agencies which compete as independent contractors in a public bidding.

The vigil, which lasted for several days, failed to disrupt the daily operation of Quezon Hall offices but raised obvious security and administrative concerns. Quezon Hall looked no different from an evacuation shelter with the protesters, their families and sympathizers, cooking, dining, sleeping, drying their clothes, and literally cleaning themselves in the picket site.

This indicates, according to Florano, that the University’s image as a bastion of academic freedom and activism is both a blessing and a curse that the UP community has had to accept. But even though he sees no reason for the administration to completely regulate such use of the University’s public space, he believes it will be in everybody’s interest if the campus administrators would be informed of these activities beforehand. This would make it easier for the latter to provide the necessary security for both participants and ordinary bystanders. “Those who now run our campuses were themselves immersed in UP’s activist tradition so I don’t think they will be allergic to such causes,” he says.

Actually, a number of security measures have long been put in place to address these concerns. Memorandum No. 18 issued by former UP President Edgardo J. Angara in 1983 states that “rallies and demos may be held within the University’s premises with no need for a permit from the City/Town Mayor.” But the same memo also specifies that “the University’s own rules and regulations” would govern these activities. The standing policy, based on a July 25, 2003 memorandum issued by then Chancellor Emerlinda Roman, is that “rallies, demonstrations, vigils and other similar activities may be allowed only with written permission of the Vice Chancellor for Community Affairs.” These activities cannot go beyond six in the evening.

According to Florano, administrative sanctions may sometimes be necessary not only to avert vandalism and anarchy, but also to minimize the impact of disruptions on other activities. A lightning assembly blocking major roads in the Diliman campus, for instance, could easily paralyze the flow of jeepneys plying the Pantranco and Philcoa route. Florano maintains that people should consider everyone’s welfare regardless of where they sit in the intellectual divide. “In Japan, for instance, you cannot just hold rallies whenever or wherever you feel like it,” he says.

The Japanese people, according to Florano, learn early to recognize that they are part of an interdependent society and normally think twice about causing inconvenience especially to spaces deemed public. By contrast, we Filipinos are more aggressive in asserting our individual rights, says Florano, “and public spaces—like those in public universities—are being used as venues for these expressions.”

Symbolic identity

Florano believes that the University as an academic institution is not mandated to serve as a venue for non-academic activities. “But if we are to keep our healthy democratic tradition, the University has to accommodate these activities or we will not be living up to our name as a university of the people.” The significant public role the campus plays is representative of the larger purpose the University serves for the country. The campus is a park. It is a cultural center and meeting place. And more importantly, it is a symbol of academic excellence, civic pride, and the rich and lasting heritage shared by generations of UP alumni. The landscape, the buildings, and the events that take place in these spaces all form part of the collective memory of the institution.

Like Florano, Cal favors the free expression of sentiments, even if the makeshift encampments and protest banners in halls and lobbies can be an eyesore.

“I think these activities should be allowed if they do not violate any law or do not go beyond the basic rights provided in the constitution,” says Cal. “They should be properly recognized, especially in an academic community.”

SEC. BEBET GOZUN: UNEP'S 2007 CHAMPION OF THE EARTH

This is going ahead of my other postings. But I am forced to post this now to join the nation in honoring former Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Elisea "Bebet" Gozun for winning UNEP's "2007 Champions of the Earth" alongside with six other awardees, including former US Vice President Al Gore (for his video documentary "An Inconvenient Truth"). UP-NCPAG honored her through a lecture (yes, we made her work in her honor) entitled, "Reflections on Environmental Leadership in the Philippines: Triumphs and Tribulations" held on 15 March 2007 at UP-NCPAG's Audio-Visual Room. The affair was graced by prominent environmentalists and DENR officials and employees. A picture posted here shows Sec. Gozun together with Miss Earth-Water 2006 Catherine Untalan, and Dr. Angelina P. Galang, Executive Director of Mirriam College's Environmental Studies Institute. Thank you to Dean Alex Brillantes, Jr. for supporting the lecture, and to former Dean Jose Endriga for assisting us in giving the tokens of appreciation to our guests. Sec. Gozun's PowerPoint presentation, and hopefully, the video shoot, will be posted here, if I will learn how to upload them. For copies, e-mail me at efloranoy@yahoo.com.

By the way, Sec. Gozun will receive her award on 19 April 2007 (if I am not mistaken) in Singapore.

Below is the citation for Sec. Gozun for winning UNEP's 2007 Champions of the Earth. Information are available at www.unep.org/champions/

ELISEA “Bebet” GILLERA GOZUN

Mrs. Elisea “Bebet” Gillera Gozun’s commitment to public service and her passion for the environment has given her the energy to overcome obstacles, persuade disbelievers, and shape alliances.

Her leadership in World Bank projects resulted in tangible results such as the introduction of pollution charges for industrial effluents in the Philippines, the establishment of the ECOWATCH program – an innovative public disclosure program of environmental performance of priority industries – and the "Brown Fund"- the first tripartite funding source for local urban environmental initiatives, jointly managed by non-governmental organizations (NGOs), business, and government.

Mrs. Gozun recognized that without the local communities, the private sector, and local governments on board led by mayors, no national policy could succeed. She has pushed for the introduction of community-based waste recovery, recycling and reuse in the Philippines and has also worked for the establishment of materials recovery facilities, and on upgrading the quality and capacity of landfills for the residual wastes. To implement the pilot schemes in environmental management, she has attracted international funding, and mobilized local resources. As a result, today there is a wide network of participating communities, with dramatically improved health situations due to better solid waste management.

Her personal integrity, combined with a keen pragmatic sense for what is politically feasible to constitute a viable solution, have won her the trust of business leaders, NGOs, and political decision-makers alike.

Source: www.unep.org/champions/

ASSESSMENT OF THE 'STRENGTHS' OF THE NEW ASEAN AGREEMENT ON TRANSBOUNDARY HAZE POLLUTION

After writing a conference paper, I was able to write an article published in the International Review of Environmental Strategies (Vol. 4, No. 1, 2003) (see journal cover at the left) of the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) (see logo above). The summary is pasted below. If you want a copy, e-mail me at efloranoy@yahoo.com. Or buy a copy of the journal.

Source: http://www.iges.or.jp/en/pub/ires/pdf/vl4_n1/10.html

Current Development
Assessment of the "Strengths" of the New ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution
Ebinezer R. Florano

This article assesses the theoretical “strengths” of the new ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution (ATHP), which was initially created to prevent, monitor, and mitigate land and forest fires, and eventually, transboundary haze pollution in the Southeast Asian region. Using Pamela Chasek’s “Strength Index,” the author graded the contents of the ATHP using the various weighting systems for each of the following 12 indexes: secretariat/commission; reporting; reservation; monitoring; non-compliance; inspection; dispute settlement; amendments, protocols, and annexes; performance standards; liability provisions; financial resources and mechanisms; and adoption of protocol within five years. The ATHP obtained no score in those indexes that could have given its Secretariat the power to monitor or inspect the compliance of the Parties and to mete out punishment to stubborn ones. For this reason, it can be branded as a “blind and toothless paper tiger,” although one would have expected the involvement of the United Nations Environment Programme in its drafting to produce better results. Compared to a similar regional environmental accord—its European counterpart, the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution—the ATHP appears (in theory) to be stronger, but there are lessons to be learned from Europe’s more than 20 years of experience with that convention. In the company of 13 other multilateral environmental accords, the ATHP is among the stragglers. The author suggests various compliance and enforcement strategies or techniques to strengthen the ATHP and implementation-related laws and regulations at the regional, national, and sub-national levels.

By the way, my IRES article is cited by Prof. Alan Tan of the Faculty of Law of the National University of Singapore in his article entitled, "The ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution: Prospect for Compliance and Effectiveness in Post-Suharto Indonesia" published in NUS's law journal.

It is also indexed in the libraries of the following organizations/offices:
1. Secretaria de Relaciones Exteriores (Mexico) - www.sre.gob.mx/imred/biblioteca/bol57/medambte.htm
2. IDE-JETRO (Japan) - http://opac.ide.go.jp/
3. Kwansei Gakuin University (Japan) - http://kgsaint/kwansei.ac.jp/rrpdf/50-02S.pdf

REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL COOPERATION Part 2

I found another website where my article can be found - at the Clean Air Initiative-Asia of the Asian Development Bank. Please follow the website posted below.

http://www.cleanairnet.org/caiasia/1412/article-69345.html

REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL COOPERATION WITHOUT TEARS AND FEARS: THE CASE OF THE ASEAN REGIONAL HAZE ACTION PLAN

Before obtaining my PhD degree from the International Christian University, I was able to write and deliver a lecture taken from my then draft dissertation. The title of my dissertation is, "Regional Environmental Governance: A Study on the ASEAN Regional Haze Action Plan," (indexed at Japan's National Diet Library, and at the Fuji Xerox Foundation Library). I culled information from it to write the conference paper which I read in an international conference on International Environmental Governance in Paris, France in March 2004. The conference was attended by environmental officials of many European countries, environmental NGO representatives, and academicians. It was sponsored by IDDRI (see logo above). I was lucky to meet Dr. Edith Brown Weiss, Professor of Environmental Law of the Faculty of Law of Georgetown University, who chaired my panel. I was so happy to meet her because I used her book and theoretical framework for my dissertation.

Unfortunately, I don't know yet how to upload its PDF files, hence, may I just direct you to a website where you can find a copy:

http://www.iddri.org/iddri/html/themes/archi/ieg.htm

Look for the entries written below. If you cannot find it, write me at efloranoy@yahoo.com. I can send you a PDF copy via e-mail.

Ebinezer R. Florano (biography), International Christian University (Japon). Regional Environmental Cooperation without Fear and Tears: The Case of the ASEAN Regional Haze Action Plan.

By the way, my IDDRI conference paper is cited by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in its document, “Joint Working Party on Trade and Agreement: Regional Trade Agreements and Environment” released on 12 March 2007. The URL address is (breathe first): www.olis.oecd.org/olis/2006doc.nsf/
8d00615172fd2a63c125685d005300b5/
5ef81f590a3358f3c125729c005c2a2e/$FILE/JT03223481.DOC

ANTONIO OPOSA

To popularize EcoGov at UP-NCPAG, I decided to bring EcoGov issues to the attention of the college's students, faculty members, and staff. For my first salvo, I invited Atty. Antonio Oposa, a world-reknown environmental lawyer to speak about "Environmental Audit." Luckily he accepted the invitation. This was sometime in August 2005, if I am not mistaken. Unfortunately, I was not able to take a picture of him as I was busy managing the forum (I was also a speaker at that time). I have attached a picture from another website (INECE). And I was not able to get the gist of his presentation (sorry for that).

Why is Atty. Oposa famous? You can get ideas from below:

Among the cases decided by the Supreme Court which granted victory to the advocacy for environmental protection, the case of Oposa vs. Secretary Factoran (224 SCRA 792) stands out as most unique, and novel to the legal world. Studded with new legal doctrines and principles relating to environmental protection, the case has up to now been the inspiration of the warriors of mother nature.

Case Summary

Facts: This case originating from the Regional Trial Court of Makati, Metro Manila was initiated by several minors, as represented by their parents, including via their representation the generations yet unborn. As the original defendant, Secretary Factoran of the Department of Environment and Natural resources was impleaded as such.

Plaintiffs herein anchor their claim on their right to the full benefit and enjoyment of the countries natural resources, particularly of the virgin forests. They move for the cancellation of the issued existing Timber License Agreements (TLA) as well as the desistance of the Defendant and the officers so authorized from any further issuance or renewal of the same.

They assert that they have the existing Constitutional right to a balanced and healthful ecology.

Issue: Whether or not the Plaintiffs are real parties in interest.

Rule: Plaintiff has the standing. The complaint focuses on a fundamental natural and legal right enshrined in the Constitution. The same right and source of obligation can justify the claimed inter-generational responsibility. Hence, they may bring the matter at hand to court and be granted the proper recognition.

Section 16, Article II which recognizes above all: THE STATE SHALL PROTECT AND ADVANCE THE RIGHT TO A BALANCED AND HEALTHFUL ECOLOGY IN ACCORD WITH THE RHYTHM AND HARMONY OF NATURE.

Said provision is recognized as self executory and hence may be a source of obligation upon the state without need of further positive act from Congress.

Source: Edgar B. Pascua (n.d.), “The Legal Implications of the case of Oposa v. Factoran,” < http://www.geocities.com/green_juris/artopfacjet.html > 30 January 2006.