Greenpeace ship sails to Tacloban

TACLOBAN CITY, Feb. 21  --The Greenpeace ship dubbed “Rainbow Warrior” will visit this city for the first time as part of the Philippine tour, Greenpeace Southeast Asia announced on Tuesday.

The ship will arrive at the city port on February 28 and will stay until March 5.

“The Rainbow Warrior’s journey will visit areas that have experienced the brunt of climate change impacts and will act as a global platform for the climate justice movement and other impacted communities - building support and solidarity with the people most affected by the actions taken by big polluters. It is time to stand up for climate justice,” the group said in a statement.

“The journey of climate justice in Eastern Visayas continues. It highlights the role of communities in pressuring governments and corporations to take immediate action on climate change and to protect the human rights that continue to be threatened by its impacts,” the statement added.

Several activities have been lined-up for the five-day tour of the ship that sails in the name of Climate Justice, dubbed as “Balangaw (rainbow): The Climate Justice Ship Tour”.

The visit will kick off with a press conference on board the Rainbow Warrior ship.

On March 1, activities include the Opening Day of LIVErary, an arts and culture activities highlighting the call to break free from fossil fuels.

The “LIVErary: Living Books, Learning Live” is a combination of experiential art installation and storytelling, through human “books” that are both universally relevant and distinctly “Waray”.

It will also feature international activist and their stories on demanding their government to have a stronger climate ambitions. The event will run until March 4.

On March 2 activities includes the “Larga Bista” - showing of films from the region’s directors while on March 3 and 4 there is an Open Boat - Green Fair Exhibit at the Rainbow Warrior.

The tour will wrap up with regatta of fishermen and dragonboat paddlers race on the last day.

Tacloban is the last stop of “Rainbow Warrior” visit in the Philippines. The ship made its first stop in Manila and second stop in Guimaras.

The Manila visit highlights the power of the people who are reclaiming their rights to safe and ecologically-sourced food, rights to resilient and thriving oceans while the Guimaras visit highlights the promotion of using renewable energy and call for the stoppage of using coal energy source. (RTA/PNA)