Solidarity Statement of the Philippine Network of Food Security Programmes (PNFSP) to the Multisectoral Forum on Climate Justice, Region XII – Mindanao, Philippines

The Philippine Network of Food Security Programmes (PNFSP) stands in firm solidarity with the communities, organizations, and advocates gathered in this Multisectoral Forum on Climate Justice. We extend our salute and support to the people of Region XII who are courageously defending their lands, forests, and waters against destruction and exploitation.

The recent flash flood in Maasim, Sarangani Province, which displaced more than a hundred families and damaged farms and homes, is yet another tragic reminder of how the worsening climate crisis and environmental degradation directly endanger the food security and dignity of our people. For rural communities whose lives are rooted in the land and the seas, every disaster brings hunger, displacement, and deep uncertainty.

The struggles faced in Tampakan, Lake Sebu, and the Daguma Mountain Range are not isolated. They are part of a broader pattern of development aggression—large-scale mining, coal operations, and plantation expansion—that destroys ecosystems, displaces Indigenous communities, and erodes our collective capacity to feed ourselves. These projects do not bring genuine development; they rob rural peoples of their right to land, water, and livelihood—the very foundations of food self-sufficiency.

As an organization committed to advancing food sovereignty and rural people’s empowerment, PNFSP believes that there can be no food security without environmental justice. The health of our ecosystems determines the health of our communities. When forests are leveled, when rivers are poisoned, when ancestral lands are seized, the right to food and to life itself is violated.

We therefore join you in calling for:

• The protection of ancestral domains and community-managed resources from destructive extractive projects;

• The accountability of corporations and government actors who prioritize profit over people and the planet;

• The strengthening of grassroots-led climate adaptation and agroecological practices as pathways to resilience and self-sufficiency; and

• The unwavering defense of environmental defenders who continue to stand up for justice despite threats and repression.

  
  

PNFSP affirms that climate justice is integral to food justice. Building sustainable, community-based food systems requires addressing the root causes of climate change—corporate greed, unsustainable resource extraction, and systemic inequality. We envision a society where rural people and Indigenous communities are not victims of climate disasters, but leaders in shaping resilient, life-giving economies grounded in solidarity and respect for nature.

But we are not here today to despair. We are here to unite. This forum is a living proof that people from different sectors—farmers, fisherfolk, Indigenous communities, church groups, youth, women, and civil society—can come together to assert a shared vision: a future where our environment is protected, our people are respected, and justice is upheld.

May this gathering be not only a space for dialogue but  a spark for collective action. Let it inspire us to be steadfast environmental defenders, protectors of life, and builders of hope. Together, we can transform our grief into strength, our outrage into action, and our solidarity into a movement that ensures justice for both people and the planet.

In these challenging times, we at PNFSP offer  a pledge of commitment—to continue working hand in hand with grassroots communities, amplifying their voices, and together advance the struggle toward a just, sustainable, and food-secure future for all.

In solidarity and hope,

Philippine Network of Food Security Programmes (PNFSP)