Eneriza Menaling
My word for today is vulnerability. In one of the online sessions I attended, I heard people talk about their vulnerability in terms of food security because of climate change, which is exactly what my community is experiencing.
Nowadays, things are very different. In the past, we knew when the long dry season and wet season would come, so our ancestors were well-prepared. They knew the right time to plant in order to have an abundant harvest.
But now, we don’t know. We no longer know the right month to plant to ensure a good harvest. Some farmers fail, and this can lead to hunger. Because of this, many people migrate to the cities to find jobs just to provide for their families – something that is not always good for their children.
Climate change has a big impact on us, especially Indigenous Peoples, because we cannot afford the things that wealthy people can. If we don’t find solutions for the climate crisis we are facing, things will get even worse. Someday, even the clean air we breathe might be something we have to buy. That’s why, while it is still early – not too early, but not yet too late – we must walk together and find solutions to climate change.
In Upper Pulangi, one of our challenges is food security because many people are planting hybrid corn mainly used for animal feed. They plant for selling, and this economic pressure leads to food shortages in our community.
When I arrived here in Brazil, I noticed how expensive many products are. Each time I see a product, I think, “Oh, this is worth half a sack of rice in the Philippines,” and I am overwhelmed by their economy here.
The government should not only focus on giving ayuda (dole-out) like seedlings that are sometimes hard to grow, or chemical fertilizers that harm the environment. They should also focus on giving us the right to speak and to be heard, because this is not just for us as Indigenous Peoples, but for the whole world. Only then can we find solutions together for the vulnerabilities we are facing.
Eneriza Menaling is a RAOEN COP30 indigenous youth delegate from the Pulangiyēn community in Bendum, Malaybalay in Bukidnon, Philippines. This is her reflection for Day 3 at COP30.