CCC Commissioner Rachel Anne S. Herrera with the students of Philippine Science High School - Southern Mindanao Campus (PSHS-SMC)
 

DAVAO, 18 September 2023 — The Climate Change Commission (CCC) congratulated students and parents at the Philippine Science High School - Southern Mindanao Campus’s (PSHS-SMC) 35th Recognition Day Program, and encouraged them to take an active role in addressing the critical issue of climate change.

In her address, CCC Commissioner Rachel Anne S. Herrera shared a comprehensive overview of climate change, highlighting its profound impacts on both local and global scales. She shared poignant examples, including Davao’s own experience. It is a region historically unaffected by floods and typhoons, but in 2012, it was not spared from the wrath of Typhoon Pablo – the strongest tropical cyclone to ever hit Mindanao, destroying villages and killing over 1,000 people.

Highlighting the urgency of addressing the climate crisis, Herrera drew attention to the recent record-breaking heat in July 2023, recognized by the World Meteorological Organization as the hottest month ever recorded.

She echoed the words of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, stating that "the era of global warming has ended, and the era of global boiling has begun."

She underscored that vulnerable communities, including youth, children, and women, are disproportionately affected by climate change, with severe floods, droughts, and temperature increases wreaking havoc on lives and livelihoods.

Commissioner Herrera emphasized the transformative power of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) in addressing the pressing challenges facing the nation and the world, including climate change.


She urged the students to recognize their significant role in climate action, emphasizing that climate change is a challenge that we are already facing and must be addressed head-on.

In closing, Commissioner Herrera, an esteemed alumna of PSHS-SMC, encouraged students not only to engage in discussions about climate change within the classroom, but also to actively participate in decision-making processes within their school organizations and local and national government bodies to drive climate action.

She gave them a powerful message: “You are not just the future, you are the present. Start small if you must, but create a ripple effect through your contributions. Reshape the world through science. Embrace your role as Earth’s stewards.”

For more information on the CCC’s climate mainstreaming activities, visit https://climate.gov.ph and https://facebook.com/cccphl.