After campaigning together for international support to the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change action, France and the Philippines renewed their partnership in addressing global warming by mobilizing backing for the upcoming 3rd United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) to be hosted by the French city of Nice.

France’s Ambassador to the Philippines Marie Fontanel and Senator Loren Legarda, chair of the Senate Subcommittee on the Paris Agreement, led the launching of the #100DayMobilizationOcean campaign at the former’s residence in Makati City on 26 February, the 10th anniversary of the Manila Call to Action on Climate Change.

UNOC3 will be a key moment to address multilateral commitment to protect marine ecosystems, mobilize financial resources and share scientific knowledge necessary for the development of informed public policies, according to Fontanel.

“The UN Ocean Conference in Nice this June will once again offer France and the Philippines the opportunity to raise our voices together to champion the message of action, solidarity and long-term commitment,” she added.

The mobilization from 26 February up to the start of UNOC3 on 9 June involves activities protecting oceans and marine biodiversity. They include projects of 11 local non-government organizations supported by the French embassy’s Youth and Oceans Fund of the Blue Nations Initiative, which empowers the youth, advocates scientific development and engages communities through hands-on activities. The campaign will culminate with the installation of an artwork made of over 1,000 solar-powered lanterns to be created in partnership with Liter of Light (LOL).

‘Waves of action’

Fil-Am actress and environmentalist Antoinette Taus’ Communities Organized for Resource Allocation (CORA) will have its Youth for Oceans (Y4O) program for the mobilization campaign.

Y4O brings together 16 Sangguniang Kabataan leaders from Parañaque City to undertake “waves of action” such as coastal cleanup, marine litter monitoring and focus group discussion.

“One of the most exciting aspect is we’re going to be distributing segregation bins to 16 schools, one in each barangay in Parañaque City to set them really great on their journey forward so that they have the tools, the skills, and the knowledge to truly be a part of the solutions that we need,” Taus said.

Save the Philippine Sea (SPS) founder and shark conservationist Anna Oposa said Gen Sea (Sea and Earth Advocate) will be its project for the mobilization. It focuses on marine and shark conservation.

Oposa, who calls herself “crazy shark lady,” said she will train Palawan community leaders on shark identification and citizen science.

Gen Sea is also about training the youth on leadership skills, communication strategies and project management. A boot camp for young citizens will be conducted in April and May.

“So they’ll learn from different experts on climate change, marine litter and shark conservation. And then they will also do snorkeling activities,” Oposa said.

Boot campers will get to experience mangrove forest, coral reefs and sea grass meadows, she promised.

The Palawan-based Sulubaai Environmental Foundation (SEF), meanwhile, has a project with the Embassy of France involving the development of educational programs for five schools in Sharkfin Bay supported by the SEF.

Part of the project are school visits and lectures about marine habitats and marine protected areas.

Climate art

LOL founder and social entrepreneur Iliac Diaz, who also spoke at the mobilization launching, described his group as one of the largest climate artists in the world.

“We get thousands of people to build solar lights at the same time,” he said. “We did it in Egypt by the pyramids and we just came in from India.”

For the UNOC3 campaign, Diaz said he will bring back the activity to the Philippines.

“We will ask people, to challenge you to build solar lights. And we will put them in an artwork that makes a difference. And this will be the start of our next, our fourth Guinness World Record (GWR),” he said.

According to Diaz, LOL is the GWR holder for the largest solar artwork such as the “Tree of Light” in Dubai and the “Love is 100% Renewable” in Mumbai, India.

“Tree of Light” consisted of 3,000 solar lamps, each hand-built by thousands of students from Deira International School and Universal American School. It was publicly displayed on 22 May 2024, coinciding with the International Day for Biodiversity. After the public exhibition, the solar lamps were distributed to communities in the Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary in the Philippines, providing sustainable lighting solutions to areas with limited access to electricity.

The heart-shaped “Love is 100% Renewable” was composed of 550 solar-powered lamps handcrafted by previously unemployed women in Mumbai and displayed during the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival. After the festival, the 1,963 solar lamps used in the installation were distributed to rural villages in the Maharashtra and Gujarat regions.

“Of course, the most important part is not the world record or not the artwork. It’s just for me to get thousands of lights to be able to give it to the Department of Education or people that need it,” Diaz said.