CCC Vice Chairperson and Executive Director Robert E.A. Borje delivers the keynote address at the 1st Manila Water Sustainability Leadership Talk in Quezon City, emphasizing the role of water utilities in aligning operations with the national plans to strengthen climate resilience. Quezon City – The Climate Change Commission (CCC) underscored the urgency of aligning the business strategies and investments of essential services, including water service providers, with the country’s national climate commitments during the 1st Manila Water Sustainability Leadership Talk in Quezon City. In his keynote address, CCC Vice Chairperson and Executive Director Robert E.A. Borje highlighted that for a water-stressed and disaster-prone archipelago, climate risk is systemic and must be managed in coherence with sectoral agencies and private operators while engaging the communities who are also active agents of resilience. “Climate action does not succeed on policy alone. Nor does it succeed on infrastructure alone. It succeeds when institutions, communities, and individual Filipinos move together,” Borje said. Moreover, he highlighted the central role of water utilities in strengthening climate resilience, noting that climate impacts directly affect water availability, infrastructure integrity, and service continuity, making climate action a governance and operational priority. “The role of water utilities is fundamental. We must ensure water security despite a changing climate, by climate-proofing infrastructure, diversifying water sources, and integrating nature-based solutions for watershed management,” Borje said. Highlighting the policies under the guidance of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Borje underscored the Philippines’ Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) and National Adaptation Plan (NAP) as the country’s core frameworks for addressing climate risks and advancing sustainable development. He emphasized that water utility companies contribute to national mitigation targets through improved wastewater treatment, energy efficiency, and low-carbon operations, while also advancing adaptation through risk-informed planning and resilient infrastructure. “This is where the idea of bridging sustainability and resilience becomes concrete,” Borje said. “When your sustainability strategies align with our NDC and our NAP, you are doing more than complying with policy. You are translating national commitments into daily realities for millions of Filipinos.” Affirming this view, Manila Water President and CEO Roberto Locsin underscored that providing service for sustainable solutions means more than just delivering the basic needs. “Every task we perform, every decision we make, can be transformed into direct climate action. This is the power of our work. It goes beyond operations, it shapes resilience for generations to come,” Locsin noted. The Sustainability Leadership Talk is Manila Water’s platform for engaging leaders from government, academe, and industry peers on sustainability and resilience. Its inaugural session, with the theme “Bridging Sustainability and Resilience for a Climate-Smart Future,” focused on climate action, public-private partnerships, and embedding resilience into organizational planning and operations. The CCC actively engages with the private sector as a core part of its mainstreaming strategy, recognizing business as a crucial partner in achieving national climate resilience. The agency leverages relevant pathways, such as bilateral partnerships and its system of contact groups, to sustain collaboration as a loop of action and ambition. Aligned with the national climate agenda and the country’s commitments under the Paris Agreement, the CCC reaffirmed its commitment to working with the private sector and other stakeholders to advance climate-resilient development and safeguard essential services amid a changing climate.
The Climate Change Commission (CCC) convenes national government agencies (NGAs) to assess, ensure, and align their climate action plans with the National Adaptation Plan. MANILA –The Climate Change Commission (CCC) convened national government agencies (NGAs) in a two-day Stocktaking Workshop for Climate Programs and Indicators to strengthen and harmonize their climate action plans with the National Adaptation Plan (NAP). The workshop served as a platform for National Government Agencies (NGAs) to assess existing climate programs, identify gaps, and align sectoral priorities with the NAP, the country’s long-term, science-based, and evidence-based framework that aims to reduce climate-related loss and damage while building adaptive capacity toward transformative resilience and sustainable economic development by 2050. Developed under the leadership of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., the NAP reflects the administration’s vision of a climate-smart and climate-resilient Philippines, ensuring that adaptation efforts are integrated across policies, programs, and public investments. CCC Vice Chairperson and Executive Director Robert E.A. Borje underscored the importance of the NAP as a practical and responsive framework for addressing climate risks. “The National Adaptation Plan is more than a policy document—it is our shared blueprint for how the government responds to climate risks in a systematic, coordinated, and accountable manner,” Borje said. The workshop was organized into breakout sessions covering key adaptation sectors, including Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food Security; Water Resources; Health; Ecosystems and Biodiversity; Cultural Heritage; Population Displacement and Migration; Land Use and Human Settlements; Energy, Transport, and Communications; and Livelihoods and Industries. These discussions enabled agencies to exchange best practices, surface operational challenges, and identify opportunities to strengthen sectoral adaptation actions consistent with national priorities. Borje emphasized that climate resilience requires sustained collaboration and shared accountability across government institutions. “Building climate resilience is both a technical endeavor and a governance responsibility. It requires sound science and robust indicators, but it also requires leadership, collaboration, and a shared sense of purpose.” “As public servants, we are not merely reporting progress—we are shaping how the government protects lives, livelihoods, and development gains in the face of a changing climate,” Borje added. The workshop brought together various NGAs, including the Department of Agriculture–Climate Resilient Agriculture Office, Department of Science and Technology–Industrial Technology Development Institute, Department of Transportation, and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, reaffirming a whole-of-government approach to advancing climate adaptation under the NAP. For more information on the CCC’s climate mainstreaming activities, visit www.climate.gov.ph and www.facebook.com/CCCPhl.
CCC joins Cotabato State University (CotSU) College of Forestry representatives in planting Malugay (Pometia pinnata) seedlings, a native Philippine hardwood tree, as part of a collaborative greening and resilience-building activity on campus. MANILA, 26 December 2025 — The Climate Change Commission (CCC) visited key state universities and colleges (SUCs) in Mindanao to strengthen collaboration in localizing climate resilience efforts and empowering communities as climate champions. The CCC recently met with officials from the Sultan Kudarat State University (SKSU) and Cotabato State University (CotSU) to advance convergence on climate adaptation, research, and capacity building. In a meeting with SKSU President Dr. Samson L. Molao and his team, CCC Vice Chairperson and Executive Director Robert E.A. Borje discussed leveraging the university’s critical role as an academic and research hub to build local climate capacities. The dialogue emphasized SKSU’s potential in driving evidence-based climate action in the region, with sustained support from Senator Loren Legarda, a long-time advocate for empowering SUCs. "The CCC will continue to engage stakeholders in line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s vision of a climate resilient Philippines. We are turning communities into champions for climate," said Borje. Separately, Borje met with CotSU President Dr. Sema G. Dilna and team, focusing on mobilizing SUCs to localize the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) and build capacities for transformative climate action. Developed under the leadership of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., the NAP aims to steadily reduce climate-related loss and damage and to build the country’s adaptive capacity toward transformative resilience and sustainable economic development by 2050. The NAP serves as a national instrument for pursuing efforts at all levels of governance to address climate risk and reduce the country's vulnerability to climate change impacts by bolstering adaptive capacity, fostering resilience, and integrating adaptation into relevant policies and programs. It specifically identifies SUCs as supporting agencies in several key adaptation strategies, recognizing their critical role in translating national policy into local, on-the-ground action. For the health sector, SUCs support the reinforcement of primary care and community health workers, aimed at minimizing patient mortality from climate-sensitive diseases. They also contribute to the development of resilient health networks, which ensures seamless access to climate-responsive health services. In the area of ecosystems and biodiversity, SUCs are positioned to support the protection and rehabilitation of biodiversity across habitats and ecosystems, as well as enabling and empowering communities to lead ecological management. This includes helping establish collaborative research partnerships between local communities, researchers, and environmental organizations to provide access to scientific expertise, enabling ecological assessment and better-informed decisions at a local level to improve the resiliency of ecosystems. The engagement at CotSU also included a symbolic tree-planting activity at the university’s College of Forestry. Together, CCC and CotSU officials planted Malugay (Pometia pinnata) seedlings—a native, fruit-bearing hardwood tree valued for its strength and ecological benefits. "Every tree planted and grown is a step towards renewing its value for our communities," Borje stated. "We thank the CotSU College of Forestry for choosing this species and for working with us to ensure these trees—and our partnership—grow strong." These back-to-back engagements underscore the CCC’s strategy to harness the unique position of SUCs as centers of innovation, education, and community extension to mainstream climate action at the local level. For more information on the CCC’s climate mainstreaming activities, visit www.climate.gov.ph and www.facebook.com/CCCPhl.
PAETE, LAGUNA | 26 December 2025 — The Climate Change Commission (CCC) in coordination with the local government of Paete, Laguna and with support from the Ayala Foundation, conducted its 2nd Community Outreach Program on 19 December 2025 at the New Agarao Covered Court in Paete, Laguna. A part of the CCC’s annual community engagement initiatives, this program was organized to provide assistance to the residents of Paete who were severely affected by recent typhoons. Through the activity, 200 families received Christmas baskets, while 63 children were given kiddie meals and goodie bags, reinforcing shared efforts to extend relief, strengthen community solidarity, and support recovery in climate-vulnerable communities. Paete, a fourth-class municipality, relies heavily on agriculture for livelihoods, making it particularly vulnerable to climate hazards. "Layunin ng Climate Change Commission na magbigay ng kaalaman, kagamitan, at suporta upang tulungan kayong makabangon at maging mas handa sa mga darating pang pagsubok," said CCC Vice Chairperson and Executive Director Robert E.A. Borje through Deputy Executive Director Romell Antonio Cuenca. “Napakalaking tulong ng mga programa ng Climate Change Commission at higit pa rito ay ang kanilang patuloy na suporta sa mga proyekto ng Laguna katulad ng renewable energy. Ang outreach program na ito, sa tulong din ng Ayala Foundation, ay malaking biyaya para sa mga farmers,” said Mayor Ronald Cosico of Paete, Laguna, thanking the CCC for conducting its outreach program in Paete for two consecutive years. Correspondingly, Cenen Milan Jr., Lead of Corporate Citizenship and Volunteerism Program of Ayala Foundation, conveyed their message of support for the same program and for the CCC for its activities. “Masaya po kaming makabalik sa Paete, Laguna at sa pagkakataong ito ay para mamahagi ng tulong. Para naman sa Climate Change Commission, bilang patunay nga po ng partnerships ay aming susuportahan ang mga susunod na proyekto lalo na po ang nasa aming community development areas,” Milan expressed. As the CCC strengthens its efforts to combat climate change and strengthen adaptation measures, it continues to focus on helping vulnerable communities, ensuring no one is left behind in the journey toward a climate-resilient future. For more information on the CCC’s climate mainstreaming activities, visit www.climate.gov.ph and www.facebook.com/CCCPhl.
Photographs featuring the country’s development challenges and opportunities are showcased in the three-day photo exhibit titled “The Clock is Ticking: SDG Action Now.” MANILA — The Climate Change Commission (CCC) joined the House of Representatives Committee on Sustainable Development Goals in the opening of the three-day photo exhibit “The Clock is Ticking: SDG Action Now,” wherein SDGs are emphasized as central to the country’s national development agenda. In his message, CCC Vice Chairperson and Executive Director Robert E.A. Borje underscored that SDGs, particularly SDG 13 or Climate Action, highlight how the country’s resilience depends on decisively addressing development gaps that continue to place communities at risk. He noted that climate action is not limited to SDG 13. It also serves as a powerful enabler of progress across the 2030 Agenda, supporting efforts to reduce poverty and hunger, ensure water security, protect ecosystems, and strengthen resilient infrastructure and sustainable cities—key themes featured in the exhibit. Rep. Jose Manuel Alba, Chair of the Committee on SDGs, likewise underscored that SDGs must be treated as concrete commitments rather than abstract aspirations. He emphasized the need to translate targets into clear timelines, adequate budgets, and accountable measures as the country enters the final stretch toward 2030. “The SDGs are not meant to be aspirational goals; they were meant to be commitments to timelines, budgets, and consequences,” Alba said. The photo exhibit features images that aim to go beyond depicting adaptation and mitigation efforts, illustrating instead the “Filipino qualities of discipline, cooperation, and resolve” in responding to climate and development challenges. ”Together, we must renew and reaffirm the commitment and resolve to advance climate action that is science-based, equitable, and grounded in the realities of daily life across our provinces and cities,” Borje added. Speaking on the need to enhance the country’s climate resilience, he emphasized that policies such as the Philippine Development Plan, the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), and the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) are the country’s foundations for low-carbon, climate-resilient growth. “These are not merely policy documents, they are guides for more coherent systems, better governance, and stronger protection for our people.” Borje also highlighted the pivotal role of the legislature in the final push toward 2030, stressing that the remaining four years require decisive, coordinated, and forward-looking action. “Time is indeed ticking. But we are not bound by the clock. When we act together, urgency becomes momentum. And momentum can lead to lasting transformation.” The photo exhibit can be viewed in the North Wing Lobby, House of Representatives, Quezon City from December 9 to 11, 2025. The CCC reaffirmed its commitment to deepen collaboration with local governments, national agencies, civil society, the private sector, communities, and Congress to advance climate action that is science-based, equitable, and responsive to the realities on the ground. Through these efforts, the Commission aims to strengthen resilience, safeguard development gains, and build a sustainable future for all Filipinos.
