General Assembly of Environmental Advocates

22/02/2026

EXPOSE THE TRUTH, DEMAND ACCOUNTABILITY

On February 20, a landfill in Harangan, Rodriguez, Rizal collapsed, affecting over 100 residents. While authorities cite 7 missing individuals, reports from the local community place the number at more than 50.

According to survivors and residents in the area, rescue efforts from the Local Government Unit (LGU) have been insufficient and yet to fully materialize. Meanwhile, the landfill operator, International Solid Waste Integrated Management Specialist Inc.(ISWIMS), has restricted media access and limited public visibility about the disaster.

This tragedy follows the recent collapse of another landfill in Binaliw, Cebu City, on January 8, 2026, where at least 36 people were killed due to identical cases of environmental negligence.

From an engineering perspective, landfill collapses are rarely unpreventable. They are caused by unregulated waste height, unstable slope design, and weak oversight. Amongst other factors, dumping untreated waste creates loose masses that trap water and build up methane gas. Without proper supervision and maintenance, large-scale failure becomes incredibly predictable.

Yet, instead of receiving meaningful governmental support and safeguards, Harangan residents have been subjected to demolition threats and harassment tied to land claims by New San Jose Builders Inc. (NSJBI). The parallels between Harangan and Binaliw point to a systemic design in the way that the Philippines prioritizes private interests in managing its waste.

The UP Diliman University Student Council, alongside other student councils across the UP System, recently visited the community through a basic mass integration during the Kasama sa UP Convention. Here, student leaders witnessed firsthand the conditions of vulnerability ignored by those in power. We call on the local government of Rodriguez to immediately scale up search operations, and release transparent, verified, and regular public updates. There is nothing accidental about burying a poor community under waste, while private corporations are shielded from scrutiny.

26/01/2026

DEFEND ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENDERS! 🍀

On January 23, hundreds of uniformed officers from the Philippine National Police (PNP) violently dismantled a community barricade in Brgy. Bitnong, Dupax del Norte, Nueva Vizcaya, arresting seven community leaders in the process.

This evening, the trumped-up charges against the Dupax del Norte 7 were junked, affirming that their struggle to protect their land, livelihood, and environment was justified from the very beginning. While the University Student Council welcomes their release, we strongly condemn the intimidation, harassment, and violence inflicted upon the seven environmental defenders and the wider Dupax del Norte community.

The barricade, erected in September 2025, was a response to the impending large-scale mining operations of the British-owned Woggle Mining Corporation. Enabled by the Philippine Mining Act of 1995, the company has repeatedly attempted to enter Dupax del Norte without proper consultation with affected communities. By disregarding Indigenous peoples’ right to Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC), Woggle Corporation, and the Mining Act itself, continueu to endanger local ecosystems and communities in Nueva Vizcaya.

Then, the barricade should be regarded as a legitimate act of resistance against foreign plunder. The PNP’s directive to dismantle it exposes state’s priorities: profit over people.

The University Student Council stands in solidarity with the Indigenous peoples and communities of Dupax del Norte in demanding an immediate halt to mining operations, the revocation of Woggle Corporation’s permits, and full accountability from the DENR. We reject the criminalization of community resistance against ecological destruction and plunder.

Justice for the Dupax del Norte 7 must go beyond their release, it must include safeguards against further harassment, the protection of environmental defenders, and the preservation of the land for future generations.

02/09/2024

02/09/2024

04/07/2024

UPDATE: The dog has been rescued.

[ABANDONED DOG AT ACACIA BENCH]

A UP student reached out to us about a possibly abandoned dog covered in fleas near the bench by Acacia Residence Hall. This dog urgently needs help, especially since it's rainy season.

If you would like to lend us a helping hand, please contact us by sending us a message!

04/06/2024

UPDATE: AZUL HAS BEEN RESCUED BY Animal Kingdom Foundation AND IS CURRENTLY IN REHABILITATION ❤️‍🩹

A member reached out to us about a hairless puppy found on the sidewalk, behind the College of Architecture.

If you would like to lend us a helping hand, please contact us by sending us a message!

04/06/2024

APAT NA ARAW NA LANG 🌾

Handa ka na bang magpunla sa iyong kaisipan ng kaalaman hinggil sa agroekolohiya at pagtatanggol-kalikasan? Tara muna’t kilalanin ang ating magsisilbing tagapagsalita!

Tagapagsalita:

ELISEO RUZOL JR.
Information Officer, Magsasaka at siyentipiko para sa pag-unlad ng agrikultura (MASIPAG)

Ang MASIPAG ay pambansang ugnayan ng mga organisasyon ng magsasaka, siyentista, at NGOs na nagsusulong ng likas-kayang pagsasaka o farmer-led agroecology. Itinatag ito noong 1985 bilang tugon sa mga kabiguan ng Masagana 99 at Green Revolution ni Marcos, at ngayon ay kasalukuyang binubuo ng humigit kumulang 500 na organisasyon ng mga magsasaka sa Luzon, Visayas, at Mindanao.

Magsisilbi namang reaktor si Lance Dayrit at tagapagpadaloy si Ico Urbano, mga mag-aaral ng Phil Stud 197.

Magkita-kita tayo sa Hunyo 4, Martes, ika-1 nh sa Alcantara Hall, Student Union Building, UP Diliman.

Magrehistro lamang dito:
bit.ly/PhilStud197Agroeco