A multisectoral stakeholders in Mindanao will organize the First ever Mindanao Environment Summit and Green Caravan to address Climate Change and forthcoming flashfloods as an­nounced by PAG-ASA, the Philip­pine Government’s weather fore­cast agency. Organized by Earthsoul Solu­tions, the summit coupled with a Mindanaowide caravan in se­lected cities in the region will be participated in by private groups, business sector and various gov­ernment agencies to design an action plan to prevent irreparable damage caused by landslides, typhoons and natural disasters similar to what happened in Iligan and Cagayan de Oro cities that claimed more than 1,200 lives and left thousands homeless. The recent typhoon “sendong” damaged billions of peso-worth of properties and another typhoon hit Compostella Valley province where many natives died caused by deadly landslides. Ibno Turabin, Earthsoul Solutions Convenor, said that the summit is scheduled to be held in Davao City on April 20-22, 2012 and it will kick off with a caravan that will start from Zamboanga City on April 18 and will converge all participants in Davao City. On its way to Davao, the caravan will have an overnight stay in Paga­dian then in Malaybalay in Bukid­non where a “Green Program Ceremonies will be held in these two key Mindanao cities.

This historic event will be par­ticipated in by different Mindanao NGOs and civil society groups, farmers and businessmen gov­ernment officials and their repre­sentatives to prevent large scale damage caused by natural ca­lamities similar to what typhoon Sendong did.

The objective of this regional summit is to create wider aware­ness campaign on the future on environmental problems in the region and how stakeholder- communities can help mitigate the ill effects of climate change and large scale deforestation in Mindanao, known as the food basket of the country.