All photos taken and provided by the Agam Agenda.
LA UNION, Philippines — The Agam Agenda facilitated a workshop with local artists and writers in La Union for Earth Day 2023.
Let our voices nourish the Earth.
It was a beautiful evening of poetry and music by the coasts of La Union, Philippines for the local Earth Day Fest (“Invest in Our Planet: Isalbar ti Aglawlaw, Isalbar ti La Union!”) held last April 21-23. The Agam Agenda facilitated a gathering that enjoined local writers, artists, community organizers, and activists to celebrate and share ideas on the role of poetry, art, and creative expression in climate movements.
This year’s Earth Day Fest urged local leaders to declare a climate emergency in La Union, and take action towards kinder and equitable futures. The festival was filled with critical dialogues, sustainable Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM) projects, and cultural activities that engaged local government units (LGUs), local communities, business and education sectors, and over one million Filipino citizens who reside and regularly visit La Union to do their part and hold accountable those in power to act for the collective good.
The Agam Agenda held an intimate gathering with poetry readings and a creative workshop activity, titled “Let our voices nourish the Earth”, at Alfredo F. Tadiar Library/PUON Books, Arts and Design Shop in San Fernando, during the evening of April 21. Through a collective activity of poetic call and response, participants read and responded to the piece “Cantos de Mañana” (“Morning Songs”) by Margarito Cuellar, from the anthology Harvest Moon: Poems and Stories from the Edge of the Climate Crisis.
During the activity, people wrote a singular line on a piece of paper. Then, after folding the paper just enough to show only the preceding line, people passed the poem on to the next person for them to respond. The result was a connective trail, and by writing a poem together, it exemplified a way of listening to one another’s expression and story.
Agam Agenda’s lead strategist Padmapani L. Perez highlighted that this creative process is one that anyone can apply in mobilizing collective climate action. Carissa Pobre, Agam Agenda’s Strategist for Creative Communication, also co-facilitated the poetic gathering.
Earth Day Fest La Union was co-organized by Philippine Movement for Climate Justice and Koalisyon Isalbar Ti Pintas Ti La Union: the first green festival in La Union focused on climate justice and renewable energy.
