350 protest in front of the Calaca coal plant in 2009.
Photo: Agham Youth

Our organization’s origins can be traced back to 350.org, which was founded by a group of U.S. university friends and author Bill McKibben. They recognized climate change as a critical issue, but climate action was hindered by politics and stagnation. They believed a climate movement was needed to address the crisis at scale.

They initiated coordinated days of action that brought together activists and organizations worldwide. These events included the International Day of Climate Action in 2009, the Global Work Party in 2010, Moving Planet in 2011, and Climate Impacts Day in 2012.

Human banner at Daniel R. Aguinaldo National
High School in Davao, 2013.

The grassroots organizing efforts leading up to the Copenhagen Climate Summit in 2009 also helped establish 350’s presence in the Philippines. Various organizations and collectives responded to the call to organize climate actions for the International Day of Climate Action.

In June 2013, 350.org organized the Global Power Shift (GPS) in Istanbul, Turkey. The event gathered 600 climate action advocates and leaders from various countries for training, community-building, and strategizing. The aim was to create a global network of youth climate activists supporting 350’s work.

After the GPS, Filipino participants formalized 350.org’s presence in the Philippines by holding a national climate convergence in Cebu City in 2014. The event brought together youth advocates to organize collectives and run local campaigns throughout the archipelago.

350 Pilipinas consolidation meeting in Quezon City, 2016.

In 2016, most of these collectives merged into 350 Pilipinas which operates in Metro Manila. They take part in national initiatives for climate action while also supporting local community-led low-carbon initiatives and resisting dirty energy projects.

350 Pilipinas volunteers at the Quezon Memorial Circle in 2016. Photo: Fread De Mesa

After working as a volunteer community for 5 years as a Philippine affiliate of 350.org, key volunteers decided to register the name Tres Cinquenta Pilipinas as a legal non-profit organization with the Securities and Exchange Commission in January 2021.