PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte should push for the ratification of the historic Paris Agreement that aims to limit global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius (36F) and strive to keep temperatures at 1.5C above pre-industrial levels. We appeal to our new president to reconsider his position on the Paris Agreement. Ratifying the Paris agreement is not just about honoring our word to the international community; it is about giving the youth a chance to live freely without fear of super-disasters like the recent super-typhoon Haiyan. The Paris agreement is about securing the future of the Filipino youth. We emphasize how the Philippines must maintain its leadership in the issue, as it has done in the past years. We may be a small nation, but we have stood up for what is right by our people, and successfully rallied other nations most affected by climate change to fight for international solidarity in the face of catastrophic changes in our environment. Why then would we renegade on our commitment when victory is close at hand? Kumbaga sa basketball, panalo ka na sana, kaso pinasa mo pa sa kabilang team ang bola. We urge Congress to call for the immediate ratification of the agreement. We call on our legislators to be proactive in ensuring the ratification of the Paris agreement. Even as they wait for the President to transmit the treat to the legislative branch, we hope they do not dampen the hope of the youth, and put in their weight to ensure that the Paris agreement is ratified. By doing so, we are assured that the future of the youth is at the center of their agenda. (The Paris agreement was agreed and signed by 195 countries after years of failed negotiations. It will only be considered binding if at least 55 nation-states ratify it by 21 April 2017. Delegates of Akbayan Youth joined the civil society network that monitored the agreement in Paris, France in December 2015.) -Rafaela David, chairperson, Akbayan Youth   Support for Talks OUR group Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap expresses its support for the peace talks between the Philippine government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines that are set to resume. Since the talks will not only address the armed conflict but the roots of poverty, urban poor Filipinos must hope and clamor for their pressing concerns. The spate of violent evictions have plagued informal settlers for decades while the current Urban Development and Housing Act in place since 1992 has only fanned the flames against the favor of the poor. The peace talks can forward concrete resolutions to be undertaken by the administration in terms of recognizing both the rights to affordable housing and the rights to the city. Additionally, the urgent matter of drugelated killings can be underscored by tackling the inherent vulnerability of poor communities to the illegal drug trade. Urban poor Filipinos have their own stake in the peace talks. The current administration has taken positive steps towards this and thus can proceed to outline agreements for significant socio-economic reforms. With this, forced evictions must be recognized as unacceptable while housing rights should become prominent in crafting better policies. The UDHA has been a bane to us for many years. It has enabled demolitions across the country. Whether it be the indiscriminate labelling of danger zones or the use of public lands geared towards corporate development. Hundreds of thousands of ISFs (informal settler families) have fallen victim to the neo-liberal housing and development framework. The current policy processes, made especially prominent under Aquino have sent ISFs to survive in even deeper poverty. UDHA should be scrapped and we hope the peace talks can go a long way in exposing its deficiencies so that better programs can be enacted. National industrialization and attainment of basic social services for the poor are some of the main tenets of the Comprehensive Agreement on Socio-Economic Reforms (Caser). The NDFP has pronounced hopes that this document be finalized. National industries, according to the document, will confront the trend of neo-liberal economics and programs anchored towards foreign investment over people’s rights and communities. The document will be historic in improving the social environment in poor communities. This will also be crucial in eradicating drugs. Drugs will cease to be a problem when poverty and the conditions for it to thrive are removed. We maintain our position on drugs as most of the affected in the epidemic and the killings come from urban poor areas. These areas are targeted as being a market for cheap employment in the illegal trade, consumers attempting to escape the throws of destitution and for those who feel it necessary to cope with poor working conditions. -Gloria Arellano, chairperson, Kadamay