On November 11, a day before the 24th Meeting of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) Board Meeting officially starts, the Informal Board Working Session was convened for GCF Board and Alternate Members and their advisers to discuss comments on the agenda items for Board discussion. It was facilitated by the co-Chairs from the developing and developed country constituencies.

Deputy Speaker and Antique Congresswoman Loren Legarda participated in the session as an alternate member of the GCF Board, with support from Climate Change Commission.

The country project team behind the first GCF proposal from the Philippines meanwhile met with the GCF’s Division on Mitigation and Adaptation (DMA) and participated in the Workshop Session with the Independent Technical Advisory Panel (ITAP), before taking questions at the Technical Session with GCF Board Advisers.

Composed of Land Bank of the Philippines Assistant Vice President Prudencio Calado III; Land Bank Program Officer Pauline Angelica Roxas; PAGASA Assistant Weather Services Chief Thelma Cinco; and CCC Senior Technical Advisers Josie Ramos and Dr. Marqueza Reyes, the team seeks a grant of USD10 million on the establishment of multi-hazard impact-based forecasting and early warning systems and services (MH-IBF-EWS). 

Land Bank serves as the accredited entity, with PAGASA as the lead executing entity, together with other agencies and target local government units, for the MH-IBF-EWS project that aims to strengthen and ensure the delivery of actionable and timely early warning to communities at risk of impending natural hazards, down to the last mile. 

 Mr. Joseph Intsiful and Mr. Nazeem Wasti of the Secretariat Division on Mitigation and Adaptation helped the country project team prepare for the process of the Board Meeting deliberation and approval. At the ITAP session, Land Bank of the Philippines and other accredited entities were informed on the technical evaluation of funding proposals, particularly on forest and land use change and sustainability for adaptation projects.

At the Technical Session that serves as a precursor to the GCF Board Meeting, Land Bank was given the opportunity to address queries and concerns by GCF Board advisers on the MH-IBF-EWS project. 

The country project team was also able to meet Deputy Speaker and Antique Congresswoman Loren Legarda, who sits as an alternate member in the GCF Board representing the Asia Pacific Group. 

The consideration of the MH-IBF-EWS project and other funding proposals is on the second day, November 13, of the GCF Board Meeting agenda.