Joxelle "Jak" Tiong

Joxelle “Jak” Tiong is an environmental human rights defender from Pangasinan province, in the Philippines, upholding environmental rights and human rights with a particular focus on the marginalised communities of farmers and fisherfolk. The human rights defender is a convener of the Pangasinan People’s Strike for the Environment (PPSE) established in 2021. PPSE is also part of the Pangasinan Empowered Action on Care for the Environment (PEACENet) that included the Social Action Networks of Caritas in the Dioceses of Urdaneta and Alaminos, and the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan. Joxelle “Jak” Tiong was actively engaged in various faith-based environmental initiatives, including the Pangasinan Ecumenical Fellowship and the Justice and Peace Church Ecology Ministry of the Diocese of Dagupan – Lingayen. Through these platforms, he contributed to environmental campaigns across 15 towns and 55 parishes. The human rights defender also advocated for the protection of the Lingayen Gulf from black sand mining, opposing the proposal for six nuclear plants in Labrador Municipality, campaigning against coal-fired power plants, and resisting the establishments of waste incinerators for waste-to-energy projects. Additionally, as a participant in the Environmental Defenders Congress (EDC) and the Asia Pacific Network of Environmental Defenders (APNED), Joxelle “Jak” Tiong also worked to enhance protection and accountability mechanisms for environmental and human rights defenders facing attacks.