Local leaders of Leyte’s 3rd District, together with the Climate Change Commission and the University of the Philippines Resilience Institute, convened in Villaba for a science-based roundtable to strengthen climate resilience planning and action.

Villaba, LEYTE — The Climate Change Commission (CCC) joined local chief executives (LCEs) of Leyte’s 3rd District in a science-based roundtable consultation to strengthen climate resilience planning by aligning Local Climate Change Action Plans (LCCAPs) with updated data, tools, and the National Adaptation Plan (NAP).

Organized by the Office of Representative Anna Victoria Veloso-Tuazon, with technical support from the CCC and input and insights from the University of the Philippines Resilience Institute (UPRI), the session aimed to ensure that local climate plans respond to actual risks on the ground, using tools such as NOAH and HazardHunterPH.

To help local leaders better understand climate impacts, Prof. Mahar Lagmay of UPRI presented the latest climate information for the 3rd District, illustrating trends in flooding, drought, storm surge, and rainfall variability through updated data and tools.

This was followed by an overview of the NAP, which emphasizes nature-based solutions, resilient infrastructure, water security, and climate-smart agriculture. The CCC presented an update on the compliance status of LCCAPs in the district, noting the need to address implementation gaps and integrate updated climate information into enhanced plans.

Before the workshop, copies of the NAP were formally presented to the LCEs of the five municipalities in the 3rd District. “Ang NAP ang magiging gabay ng ating mga LGU para sa ating apat na climate impact drivers, at planuhin ang LCCAP. Higit pa rito, hindi lang plano para i-submit, pero para i-implement,” said CCC Vice Chairperson and Executive Director Robert E.A. Borje.

The NAP underscores inter-agency partnership in developing science- and evidence-based adaptation actions across sectors affected by climate change. This is also the country’s first NAP developed under the leadership of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., completed in under 10 months, positioning the Philippines among the 64 countries, with 60 developing and 4 developed nations that have submitted a NAP to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

The highlight of the activity was a workshop on aligning LCCAPs with actual challenges, which allowed LCEs to review climate risks identified in their respective plans and assess whether current programs respond to on-the-ground conditions. Using UPRI’s updated datasets, the groups identified priority risks and presented their findings to the plenary.

The CCC also presented the mechanics of the People’s Survival Fund (PSF) to guide LGUs in preparing adaptation funding proposals, and delivered a session on Nature-based Solutions, highlighting how bamboo corridors, mangrove conservation, and watershed protection already being practiced in the district can be expanded and scaled.

“Science gives us the tools we need, but local leadership turns those tools into action,“ said Borje. “The Commission fully supports the efforts of Representative Veloso-Tuazon and the local chief executives of Leyte in ensuring that climate plans translate into real protection and resilience for their communities.”

The CCC reaffirmed its commitment to work closely with national and local government units to localize the National Adaptation Plan and strengthen climate resilience across the country.
 

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