3 April 2018. The Climate Change Commission (CCC) convened its Third National Panel of Technical Experts (NPTE) Forum on April 3 at the Teatro Ilocandia, Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) in Batac City, Ilocos Norte.

With the theme “Water Security in the Midst of Climate Change,” this year’s forum aims to provide an effective exchange of best practices and trends on water security and climate change adaptation and mitigation measures among the academe, provincial offices and local government units of Ilocos Norte.

“Considering the vulnerability of the region to drought and desertification brought about by climate change, the NPTE saw it fitting to undertake the third forum here at Ilocos Norte. At the same time, this is in conjunction with the Water Security summit conducted by the Provincial Government,” said Climate Change Commission Vice Chairperson Emmanuel de Guzman in his speech delivered by Atty. Efren MG. Bascos, Legal Chief of the agency.

Highlights of the event were the presentations by NPTE members Ms. Lourdes Tibig, Dr. Carlos Primo David, Dr. Rex Victor Cruz and Dr. Felino Lansingan on Climatology, Water Security Strategies, Integrated Approaches to Watershed Management, and Smart Agriculture among others. An overview was presented by Dr. Glenn Roy Paraso.

This forum is part of a series of Experts’ Forums envisioned to mobilize effective commitment and community-based action and mainstream climate change knowledge into development policies and practices.

“The NPTE Forum of the Climate Change Commission was piloted in 2016 with the aim of creating an avenue for knowledge sharing on climate-change related issues among scientists, members of the academe, government and non-government agencies. Moving forward, we hope that these discussions lead to effective practices and policies from the national cascaded down to the local level,” de Guzman added.

The keynote address was delivered by Batac Vice Mayor Jeffrey Jubal Nalupta.

“After this forum, we shall all be provided with a deeper understanding of the climate trends in the region, the challenges it is currently facing in terms of addressing the impacts of climate change, specifically drought and desertification, and of course means to more effective adaptation strategies which shall reach even their farthest barangays,” de Guzman concluded.

This 3rd NPTE Forum is in cooperation with the Office of the Governor, Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Region 1, Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (PDRRMO) – Laoag, MMSU, LGUs, and several state universities and colleges.