Marikina Kontra Agos

15/10/2026

Trump is not welcome! No to the Pax Silica Framework Agreement!

Statement of the Network Opposed to Pax Silica on the Upcoming Visit of US President Donald Trump to the Philippines
October 15, 2026

As US President Donald Trump arrives in the Philippines for the ASEAN Summit on November 16, we, the Network Opposed to Pax Silica, reject the proposed framework agreement that would bind the Philippines to the US-led Pax Silica Initiative. Under the guise of economic security and technological development, the agreement threatens to open up Philippine land and resources, including areas in Capas, Tarlac , for an Economic Security Zone serving foreign corporate and strategic interests.

Pax Silica does not serve the Filipino people. It is designed to secure US supply chains for semiconductors and critical minerals, not to guarantee decent jobs, affordable energy, or a better future for Filipino workers, farmers, and communities. It entrenches the Philippines’ role as a source of cheap labor, land, energy, and raw materials for foreign corporate and strategic interests.

The cost will be borne by our people. Industrial zones like the one planned in Capas come with heavy costs: pollution, toxic waste, vast amounts of water and energy depletion, and the displacement of farming communities. Semiconductor and mineral processing consume vast amounts of water, power, and land. The communities of Tarlac and the wider region would bear the burden, while the profits flow abroad.

The agreement also feeds the US military agenda in Asia. Capas has long been a site of US military presence, and tying our economy to a bloc built around strategic rivalry drags the Philippines deeper into great-power confrontation and a war of aggression in the region. The Filipino people have no interest in becoming a pawn in imperialist rivalries, a staging ground for military operations, or a target in a war that serves foreign interests.

The Marcos Jr. administration must be held accountable for putting US strategic and corporate interests ahead of the Filipino people's welfare and national sovereignty. The government must immediately disclose the full text of the proposed framework agreement and all related agreements with the United States. Any attempt to negotiate or finalize these commitments behind closed doors is an affront to the people's right to know and participate in decisions that will shape the country's future. Agreements that place our land, resources, and economic direction at the disposal of foreign powers must not be pursued without public scrutiny, accountability, and the meaningful participation of affected communities.

We have every reason to question an agreement negotiated without sufficient public disclosure, particularly when the stakes include our national patrimony, environmental integrity, and the rights of communities to determine the future of their land and resources. No claim of economic security can justify sacrificing our sovereignty, undermining people's livelihoods, or exposing our environment to further destruction.

We call on the Filipino people to unite and take part in protests and other collective actions against Trump's visit and the proposed signing of the Pax Silica framework agreement.

No to Pax Silica! Defend our sovereignty and environment! Trump out of the Philippines!

14/10/2026

𝖶𝗁𝖾𝗇 𝖺𝗋𝗍 𝗌𝗉𝖾𝖺𝗄𝗌 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗇𝖺𝗍𝗎𝗋𝖾, 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗍𝗋𝖾𝖾𝗌 𝗁𝖺𝗏𝖾 𝖺 𝗏𝗈𝗂𝖼𝖾! 🍃☺️

Colorful tree-huggers have been installed along St. Mary Ave., Provident Villages, Marikina City as part of our campaign to stop the impending construction of the ADB Metro Manila Bridges Project (MMBP) that will lead to the cutting of trees and demolition of homes in several communities.

14/10/2026

13/10/2026

"We stand for the trees which cannot speak against the impending bridge construction in Provident Village and other areas in Marikina," MKA co-convenor Elisha Zantua said in a statement. Link at the comment section!

13/10/2026

SIERRA MADRE, A FOREST UNDER STRAIN ⛏️

Approximately 12,000 trees have been cut at a nickel mining site in Dinapigue, Isabela, as satellite images reveal vast stretches of cleared land within the Sierra Madre mountain range.

The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) confirmed that the tree-cutting was part of site preparation within a 15-hectare area authorized for mining and clearing.

Authorities maintain that the operations have the necessary permits and that the mining site is located approximately 1.1 kilometers from the Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park. However, concerns persist over the potential long-term effects on biodiversity, watersheds, and the region’s natural protection against floods and other disasters.

While mining operators are required to plant 100 trees for every tree cut and undertake reforestation, restoring a forest’s ecological functions can take decades, or even generations.

11/10/2026

11/10/2026

11/10/2026

11/10/2026

Advocates stage nature walk, wrap 'tree-huggers' around Marikina trees to oppose tree cutting, ADB bridge construction

Advocates led by environmental group Marikina Kontra Agos (MKA) on Sunday (Oct. 11) attached colorful "tree-huggers" around trees to be affected by the construction of an Asian Development Bank (ADB) financed bridge in Marikina City.

The tree-huggers, which are made of painted canvas cloth, is a symbol of defiance against the impending tree-cutting and earth balling of trees in Provident Village, Marikina, according to MKA co-convenor Elisha Zantua.

"We stand for the trees which cannot speak against the impending bridge construction in Provident Village and other areas in Marikina. Our tree-huggers send a bold a message: we will resist attempts to clear the trees for the bridge," said Zantua.

"Preserving these ecological treasures is even more important with the current climate crisis and looming Super El Nino that is expected to unleash weather conditions in our country," she added.

The 1.6-kilometer bridge, which seeks to connect Marcos Highway and St. Mary Ave. inside Provident Villages, cost P1.4 billion and will be constructed by Chinese contractor Hunan Road and Bridge Co.

Marikina Kontra Agos also conducted tree-tagging during the nature walk around Provident Villages to concretize the ecological value of the affected trees.

"These prime ecological assets, which stand as artifacts of our dwindling green spaces, must be preserved at all cost. We are appealing to the DPWH and ADB to cease the construction of the bridge, as it will also worsen the traffic situation in Marikina City rather than solve it., Zantua said.

The group is considering bringing the issue before the ADB headquarters to trigger the body's mechanism over its project. # # #

10/10/2026

Good morning! We are at the Immaculate Conception Parish - Provident Villages Marikina for the nature walk and tree-tagging.

We will adjust the start of the activity due to the unfavorable weather conditions. See you!