“The university should be at the forefront in pursuing actions against the causes of climate change, our political leaders are getting old, we need to be everywhere, at the legislative offices, on the street, in our class, in tv, on facebook, and in every places imaginable to usher-in new ideas, and ways, to secure our future”

Amidst the cheering, Jomar Colao, an Information Technology Professor, and the tireless coordinator of 350.org and the Community Extension Service and Development of the University of Cebu(UC), made the call to students who attended the forum yesterday hosted by the Saint Theresa’s College(STC) in Cebu City.

The forum “Creating Roadmap for Climate Solutions”, is on its second stop-over since it started in the early part of December this year.

Linz Ambayan, a first year Business Management student at STC said “I never thought that being a climate activist, and campaigning for 350 is fun, my friends and i just signed the volunteer sheet, and we are looking forward to organize more fun and creative activities in our school, i will be joining the next caravan, i can’t wait to talk to our fellow students in other universities on why we need 350 ppm”.

Roxy Facurib and Cara Ros both Political Science major and the convenor of the Luntian Patrol a green community journalism initiative of the students added, “we are happy to see fellow students getting inspired to pursue actions that will translate our plan of making our region more sustainable, this is really great, the students are now talking about climate change and what needs to be done for 350”

“I never thought that climate change will also affect me, i am alarmed that nobody is spared and safe, we will petition our leaders to do immediate remedies and work for long term climate solutions, and we will urge them to include us in planning solutions” Jayleen Semblante, a student from University of Cebu, reacted to the simulated sea level rise impacts in Cebu.

Rey Ouano, a Linguistic major from the University of San Carlos (USC) said “There is now a new youth movement emerging in our region, one that talks about environmental degradation and of what we can do to address such problem, we are pioneering in building a critical mass, we can’t wait for tomorrow, we need to do it now”

Tara Rama, a law graduate student and a member of the Law of Nature Foundation, and at the same time an advocate for road revolution, an initiative to reclaim spaces for biking, walking, and efficient transport system, said “the youth are the most contagious agents of change, and they are oozing with exciting new ideas, every time I spoke to them, I always get optimistic that the future is not lost after all, it is in each of them, and they are telling us that we can do more in securing not just their future but ours as well.

Climate Caravan was organized by the youth to bring climate awareness and pledges for 350 in different universities and schools in the Philippines. So far the caravan was able to recruit close to a thousand students who volunteered to build green constituency and pursue creative actions to solve the current climate crisis.