The Climate Change Commission delegation, led by Commissioners Robert E.A. Borje and Rachel Anne Herrera, pays a courtesy visit to Mayor Tomas Estoperez Jr. of Pandan, Antique, in preparation for the upcoming Multistakeholder Forum Towards the UNOC3.
 

PANDAN, Antique — In a bid to deepen local resilience and scale up climate action at the grassroots, the Climate Change Commission (CCC) paid a courtesy visit to Mayor Tomas Estoperez Jr. of Pandan, Antique to discuss the municipality’s climate change adaptation efforts and identify areas for cooperation and capacity building.

The discussion focused on the updating of Pandan’s Local Climate Change Action Plan (LCCAP) to align it with national strategies and exploring how the CCC can further support the LGU's path toward strengthened resilience and sustainable development.

“NAP projections reveal the Antique Province faces increasing risks from sea level rise, storm surges, and coral reef degradation,” said CCC Executive Director Robert E.A. Borje. “Local governments like Pandan are at the frontlines, and national support must match that urgency.”

“That is why the CCC is here, not just to speak, but to listen. Not just to consult, but to co-create. We believe that ocean adaptation and resilience will only succeed if it is inclusive, science-based, locally grounded, and globally informed, ” he added.

Commissioner Rachel Herrera echoed this call, saying, “From the CCC, we commit to strengthening our role as a convenor and catalyst for this convergence.”

Commissioner Rachel Herrera also proposed five key pathways for advancing the ocean-climate nexus in the country’s adaptation efforts: strengthening integrated coastal management (ICM); enhancing ecosystem-based adaptation; advancing a climate-smart blue economy; strengthening knowledge systems and governance; and mobilizing innovative financing for ocean-climate action.

In a convergence of efforts, the CCC, in partnership with the Office of Senator Loren Legarda and the University of the Philippines Visayas Extension Campus in Pandan, Antique, spearheaded the Multistakeholder Forum to Mobilize Actions Towards the Third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) that took place in Pandan, Antique on 29 May 2025.

This visit formed part of the lead-up to the forum, which brought together Antique’s municipal mayors and other local leaders, national agencies, and stakeholders to spotlight community-driven solutions and foster coordinated action on ocean and climate resilience.

The CCC remains committed to empowering local governments, communities, and partners in building a climate-smart, disaster-resilient, and sustainable future for all Filipinos, especially those at the forefront of climate and ocean impacts.