CCC Vice Chair and Executive Director Robert E.A. Borje calls on Filipino youth to lead climate action and help build a climate-resilient country in an event at the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Valenzuela on October  30, 2025. 

Valenzuela City, Philippines – The Climate Change Commission (CCC) called on Filipino youth to transform awareness into meaningful action and redefine resilience as prevention, not repeated recovery from disasters.

During the “Climate Action Now: Students for Resilience” event at the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Valenzuela (PLV), CCC Vice Chairperson and Executive Director Robert E.A. Borje, in his keynote address “The State of Climate Emergency: Science, Policy and Duty,” urged students to take an active role in shaping the country’s climate-resilient future through science, policy, and a shared sense of duty.

“Resilience is not about how fast we rebuild—it’s about how less we need to,” Borje said. “It’s not about surviving the next storm, but preventing the next loss.”

He emphasized that climate change impacts are already part of everyday life for many Filipinos, seen in flooding, extreme heat, and the spread of diseases that disrupt lives, livelihoods, and learning.

“These are not statistics. These are our stories—your stories,” he said.

Borje encouraged young Filipinos to redefine resilience by learning, preparing, and preventing together, breaking the recurring cycle of disaster, relief, and repair. He stressed that building true resilience begins with science, continues through policy, and is sustained by duty—values that young people can champion in their homes, schools, and communities.

“Science tells us what must be done. Policy shows us how. But duty ensures it is done,” he said. “Your curiosity and your willingness to act already make you part of the solution. Truth, like science, saves lives.”

Recognizing the influence of the digital generation, Borje reminded students to practice discernment amid misinformation and disinformation online.

“In this era of algorithms and echo chambers, truth itself is a form of climate action,” he said.

Borje cited numerous youth-led initiatives—from mangrove planting and coastal cleanups to local disaster preparedness programs—as proof that small, consistent acts of care and cooperation can create meaningful change.

“Across the country, young people like you are proving that small actions can lead to big changes,” he said. “These actions remind us that we don’t need to be rich to make a difference. We just need to care, to act, and to keep learning.”

He also reminded adults of their role in empowering the next generation.

“To the adults here, our role is not to take the future from your hands, but to steady them as you hold it,” Borje said. “To provide structure, opportunity, and trust.”

He ended by affirming the youth’s central role in the country’s climate-resilient future.

“We are not powerless—we are purposeful. We are not waiting for the future; we are building it together.”

The event was organized by the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) in partnership with the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Valenzuela (PLV) and the Local Government of Valenzuela. It brought together students, teachers, and local leaders to strengthen climate awareness and inspire youth-led resilience initiatives across communities. The CCC recognized PIA for leading the initiative and reaffirmed its collaboration with the agency to further empower the youth and key sectors in advancing informed, science-based climate action.

The “Climate Action Now: Students for Resilience” activity forms part of the CCC’s continuing effort to raise climate literacy and strengthen local resilience through education, collaboration, and community-driven climate action.

The Climate Change Commission continues to work with academic institutions, local government units, and youth organizations nationwide to strengthen science-based, community-driven climate action.

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