The Climate Change Commission, in partnership with the Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation-Disaster Risk Reduction (CCAM-DRR) Cabinet Cluster, spearhead the very first National Convention on Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction on December 6-8, 2017.

This two-and-a-half-day National Convention at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila aims to promote a common understanding among the participants on CCAM-DRR concepts; raise awareness about the best practices on building climate resilience and preparing for the “Big Ones”; and identify prevailing CCAM-DRR issues and recommend actions with specific deliverables.

“The choices and the actions we make today will impact the outcomes of disasters tomorrow. Whether we will rise in the face of disasters is up to us. Let us continue to build resilience through disaster risk reduction management for a more profitable and sustainable future,” said Asec. Kristoffer James Purisima of the Civil Defense during his opening remarks.

Parallel session and plenary topics highlight the first and second days recognizing the local government units’ (LGUs) different capacity levels in implementing Local Climate Change Action Plans (LCCAP), including the different sectoral concerns on CCAM-DRR, including risk governance, agriculture, environment, and protection of vulnerable sectors.

These will emphasize the alignment of policy, science, and citizens in achieving resilience using climate impact assessment, technological innovations, resource mobilization among other critical intervention, specifically the Convention. This seeks to deepen the engagement with LGUs and stakeholders in accessing climate financing as well as leveling up local projects on adaptation and mitigation.

Moreover, a plenary session for discussing contingency plans as a response to the impact scenarios and hazards presentations will take place on the third day.

“We in the Climate Change Commission initiated this National Convention to converge our strategies and complement our efforts to addressing climate and disaster risks at the local level,” Vice Chairman and Secretary of the Climate Change Commission, Sec. Emmanuel de Guzman said in his keynote address.

The delegates of the National Convention are representatives from both national and local governments, international partners, the science and technology community, and provincial, city and municipal Risk Reduction Management Officers.

Sec. De Guzman further articulated that for us to build a more resilient community to disaster and climate change, we must keep the momentum by scaling up our efforts and collaborating on more initiatives to sustain a safer, more secure and sustainable future for all Filipinos.