ELAC was formed in 1990 as a special project of the Protestant Lawyers’
League of the Philippines (PLLP). The country was still recovering from
human rights abuses from the Marcos era, and the project was an effort
to mobilize human rights lawyers for legal advocacy on behalf of
communities affected by environmental problems. It was a response to
the emerging challenge of environmental lawyering especially in the
rural areas where environmental degradation is most felt.
From 1990 to 1993, ELAC was composed of a group of volunteer lawyers
who participated in people’s monitoring teams, task forces, and
environmental investigative missions in response to various development
projects and environmental concerns. ELAC also collaborated with
various organizations in conducting environmental law seminars and
paralegal trainings, and in forming coalitions/networks on
environmental issues.
In 1994, ELAC organized a core of full-time staff, an office in
Palawan, and coordinating sites in Cebu and Northern Leyte. The
following year, offices were established in Cebu and Leyte. The
Leyte office addressed environmental issues in Eastern Visayas,
including Samar Island. In 1996, ELAC established links with some
lawyers in Bohol. This paved the way for a Bohol office in 1997.
In the same year, ELAC was duly registered as a non-profit,
non-government organization in the Philippines’ Securities and Exchange
Commission (SEC).
Community-Based Resource Management (CBRM) was later developed as a
long-term strategy to combat environmental problems and to help
communities become managers of the resources in their localities.
ELAC began CBRM programs in Honda Bay and Coron, both in Palawan.
The CBRM projects in Bantayan, Cebu and in Mabini, Bohol followed
afterwards.
In 1998, a satellite office was set up in Coron to make ELAC more
accessible to the indigenous peoples living there. Satellite offices
were likewise established in Mabini and in Salcedo, Eastern Samar in
2004 to be nearer to farmer and fisherfolk communities. Offices in
Aklan and Pagadian were set up in 2003 to respond to requests for legal
assistance in Western Visayas and Northern Mindanao. However, due to
the unavailability of full-time lawyers, these last two areas are now
being served by the main office based in Cebu.
Aside from work in central Philippines, ELAC also partners with
institutions and offices in other regions of the country and, through
its main office, has assisted communities and local governments as far
north as Romblon in Luzon and as far south as Davao del Sur in
Mindanao.
ELAC has been through a lot of organizational, financial and
operational challenges but its vision, mission, goals, and programs
keep the organization intact and alive, willing and ready to face other
challenges ahead. For as long as the environment is abused, and
for as long as the community’s rights to a balanced and healthful
ecology are violated and threatened, ELAC will continue its work of
helping communities defend the earth.
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