Thursday, November 27, 2014

Cordillera Peoples Alliance Receives International Award For Their Water-Preservation Efforts

The Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA) earned another feather for its cap when the organization took home the Gaia Prize at this year's edition of the Eco Water Awards which was held at the SBS Prism Tower in the capital city of Seoul in South Korea. Abigail Anongos, Secretary General of the CPA flew all the way to the Land of the Morning Calm to personally receive the award.

Presented by the Korea Federation of Environmental Movements, Seoul Broadcasting System, Friends of Earth Korea, and the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Korea, the Gaia Prize is in recognition of the CPA's "dedication for water resources and water related ecosystem conservation". The SBS Eco Water Awards are held annually to honor the "contributions of individuals, communities and institutions to protect water environments and to improve water resources management and water quality in a sustainable way".

"We sincerely thank the organizers of the Eco Water Awards for recognizing our work in protecting and defending Cordillera natural resources and biodiversity", said Anongos.

There are no other organizations that can match this dedication and commitment of CPA and its allied organizations from the grassroots for the defense of resources in the region. We have spearheaded major campaigns to save the river systems in the region, such as the “Let the Agno River Flow” and “Save the Abra River Movement.” In fact, CPA as an organization is pioneered by staunch environmental defenders of the Chico River against the World Bank-funded Chico dams in Kalinga and Mountain Province from the 1970s-1980s, as well as the Cellophil Resources logging concessions in Abra. These actions and campaigns are meant to save the environment for the people and future generations, and not for capitalist greed,” added Anongos.
The GAIA award trophy. Photo by Abigail Anongos.