FBANC Statement on Environmental Justice and Relief Efforts in the Philippines
March 16, 2022
In the Philippines, three of the five deadliest typhoons occurred in the last decade. The Filipino Bar Association of Northern California (FBANC) acknowledges that a warming world brings more intense and more frequent severe weather events – such as Typhoons Haiyan (Yolanda) and Odette (Rai) – and that the Philippines and other nations in the Global South disproportionately bear the burden of climate change. The geophysical and socio-economic factors in the Philippines, as well as the challenges to build infrastructure, unfortunately put the most vulnerable communities at risk.
FBANC believes in equipping communities in the Philippines and elsewhere with the climate adaptation and disaster mitigation tools to foster climate resilience.
FBANC is in solidarity with the efforts of National Alliance for Filipino Concerns (NAFCON USA) and its main on the ground partner, Citizen Disasters' Response Center (CRDC) to give long lasting support in the fight for environmental justice. CDRC uses community-based disaster management to reduce communities' vulnerabilities and strengthen each communities' capacity to cope with hazards from these disasters. Please watch this video to learn more about NAFCON (last visited March 8, 2022).
As an organization, FBANC will continue to plan fundraisers and share our work with NAFCON as we recognize that long term and continuous support provides sustainable rehabilitation for the affected communities. In 2013, under the leadership of Abigail Rivamonte Mesa during her term as FBANC President, FBANC raised over $20,000 in response to Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda). In January 2020, FBANC led the charge in organizing the National Filipino American Lawyers Association, Pilipino American Bar Association (PABA), Hawaii Filipino Lawyers Association (HFLA), Filipino Lawyers Association of San Diego (FALSD), Filipino Lawyers of Washington (FLOW), Oregon Filipino American Lawyers Association (OFALA), and the Sacramento Filipino American Lawyers Association (SacFALA) to raise relief efforts in response to the Taal Volcanic eruption.
During the remainder of this fiscal year, FBANC will continue to give when possible. This past January, FBANC’s first Typhoon Odette (Rai) fundraiser from the Warriors Charity game amounted up to $1420 in donations. All proceeds from purchasing these “Isang Mundo” items from the FBANC shop will go towards relief efforts. Additionally, some proceeds from the FBANC Golf Tournament on April 22, 2022 will go to relief efforts. We hope the FBANC community will continue to give in their own way by visiting here (last visited March 8, 2022).
As climate change and disaster mitigation relief remain ever-present in the Philippines, FBANC urges the community to continue the long-lasting fight for environmental justice.
Contact FBANC Director Chloe Czabaranek (chloeczabaranek@fbanc.org) and FBANC President Jennifer Sta.Ana (jenniferstaana@fbanc.org) for more information. Thank you to FBANC member Idrian Mollaneda for helping to author this statement.
The flyers above display FBANC's campaigns/led initiatives for disaster relief from 2013 (Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda), 2020 (Taal Volcano eruption), and 2022 (Typhoon Rai/Odette). Isang Mundo items at the FBANC shop were designed by FBANC Immediate Past President Mari Bandoma Callado and continue to be on sale for disaster relief efforts.
About FBANC
Established in 1980, FBANC is an organization of attorneys, judges, and law students dedicated to serving the Filipino community. Through the volunteer work of its members, including lifetime members, FBANC offers various service programs, including regular, free legal clinics, professional development programs for attorneys, and mentorship for law students and young attorneys. The organization also provides a voice for and advocates on behalf of Filipino interests in various forums.