February 2014
At the break of dawn today and building on an initiative launched on Earth Day 2013, a group of young Filipinos walked and biked to the Philippine Supreme Court to file an unprecedented legal action against the Philippine Government to deliver on its promise to protect the rights of future generations to a healthy environment. Specifically, they ask the government to divide the roads in half: One-half for motorized transport; the other half for covered sidewalks, all-weather bike lanes, and urban edible gardens.
Frustrated by the failure of the present generation to take meaningful action to address the climate crisis, these youth are inspired – and are inspiring others – to use the power of the law to protect the right to a safe climate.
The Philippines’ Share-the-Roads Movement is advocating for safer, cleaner, and more reliable roads for the transportation of people, not for machines and motor vehicles. The Petition cited a World Bank and a Government statistical study that only 2% of the Filipinos own motor vehicles. Yet practically all of the roads are given to motor vehicles. Consequently, 98% of Filipinos do not have adequate space to walk or bike.
