The southwest monsoon, exacerbated by super typhoon Carina (Gaemi) has caused widespread flooding and devastation in the Philippines and Taiwan, killing 25 people and causing mass displacement.
Strong winds and huge waves from the typhoon also caused the MT Terra Nova, a Philippine-flagged tanker carrying 1.4 million litres of oil, to capsize in Manila Bay in the early hours of July 25. Authorities are desperately trying to contain a 4km-long oil spill from the vessel and prevent a marine catastrophe.
In response to the disaster, the Partido Lakas ng Masa (Party of the Laboring Masses, PLM) in the Philippines launched an appeal to support grassroots relief efforts. It also called on the Philippine government to immediately evacuate those still stranded by the disaster and declare a climate emergency.
The PLM said that while people-to-people solidarity is key, "government has the main responsibility — from Malacañang [the Presidential palace], down to the smallest Local Government Units (LGUs). They have the resources to serve the masses during the disaster caused by the climate crisis.
"The government must perform its duties. The tax collected by the government should return to the Filipino masses, which also came from them. It should come back through the government service. Especially now that the people are facing a severe disaster." To that end, the PLM is demanding that ₱2.88 billion in disaster funds held by the Ferdinand Marcos jnr administration be directly distributed to affected communities.
While on a tour of the capital, Manila, to inspect the damage, Marcos jnr acknowledged that climate change was responsible for the disaster, but blamed residents for jamming up flood mitigation pumps by disposing their household rubbish onto the streets.
In response, the PLM is demanding that rather than blame the victims, the government "[b]uild a proper stormwater and wastewater management system throughout the country for the climate emergency".
"All public infrastructure, emergency evacuation sites, etc. must be built by the government before the calamities hit," said the PLM.
"The Loss and Damage Council of the United Nations (UN) should request funding from rich countries in the Global North. The Philippines is its host nation and board member."
But while the Philippine government acknowledges the impacts of climate change, it is still fast-tracking the approval of gas projects and considering adopting nuclear power as part of its energy mix. According to Global Energy Monitor, the Philippines has more than 25 gigawatts (GW) of gas power capacity in development, of which 2 GW has entered the construction phase. It also has 21 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) of liquified natural gas import capacity in development, with approximately 7 mtpa already in construction.
"Ultimately, we need system change," said the PLM. "We need a system that puts the welfare of people and the environment first — not the profits of a few and large corporations."