MANILA, 19 December 2020 — Deputy Speaker and Antique Representative Loren Legarda today called on government agencies and LGUs to effectively implement environment, climate change adaptation and mitigation, and disaster risk reduction measures to ensure safer and more resilient communities to floods.   Legarda made the call during her message at the Flood Resilience Summit organized by the University of the Philippines Visayas and the Iloilo city and provincial governments. The said forum aims to bring leaders, experts, and decision-makers to discuss programs and policies that would reduce the risks of flooding in Iloilo.   “The increasing severity of typhoons and resulting floods—such as the succession of typhoons Pepito, Quinta, super typhoon Rolly, tropical storm Siony, Tonyo, and typhoon Ulysses—are stark reminder that extreme weather, high-impact events threaten to affect millions of our people, compounding challenges to health and security and economic stability with the COVID-19 pandemic,” Legarda emphasized.   As the author of landmark laws on climate adaptation and disaster resilience, including the Climate Change Act and the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act, Legarda said that the national government and LGUs must focus on providing tools for locally-led adaptation.   “We must expand financial resources available to local governments, community-based organizations, and other local actors, to help create multi-stakeholder support with greater influence on evidence-based decision-making. It is at the local level where we can best identify, prioritize, implement, and monitor climate adaptation solutions,” said Legarda.   “Many of our LGUs have already started investing in flood control infrastructure, such as river embankments, pumping stations, floodwalls, drainage systems, storm drains, canals, and flood retention areas. However, this must be done in tandem with non-structural flood mitigation measures,” Legarda added.   Legarda noted that over the past decades, areas around waterways have become densely populated, affecting water flow. The social challenges that aggravate climate and disaster risks include urban congestion, where many people who live in informal settlements are particularly vulnerable to flooding. Despite warnings, communities continue to live in inadequate housing on or near waterways.   This was further compounded by the problem of solid waste management where uncollected trash, consisting mostly of single-use plastics, clog water flow and create problems in drainage. Poor land-use planning has aggravated climate impacts.   “We must widely adopt nature-based solutions to reduce flood risks, such as restoring wetlands for water storage and soil moisture; reconnecting rivers to floodplains; planting mangroves to protect from coastal flooding; and increasing green urban spaces,” Legarda reiterated.   UP Visayas Chancellor Clement Camposano stressed that it is high time for the province to increase its level of preparedness to floods which bring massive destruction to their communities.   "We have flood incidents in the past, sinking our beloved province that is prone to vulnerabilities and always in constant danger. Yet for many years, many of us seem to carry on as if the danger is not real. I think it's about time that we should be reminded that it's no more a question of whether flooding leads to disaster or if will it happen again. We need to be ready if we are capable of reducing the danger and risks in life and property of the province." said Camposano.   Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas emphasized the role of collaboration and solidarity in addressing the growing problem of flooding.   "Given our geographic location, we are very susceptible to flooding. This risk is made even worse by possible extreme weather events brought about by climate change. Both Iloilo City and the province are regularly affected by typhoons and heavy rains thus flooding is a problem that we really need to address together,” said Mayor Jerry Treñas of Iloilo City.   Iloilo Province Governor Arthur Defensor, Jr. shared insights on how commitment of stakeholders are vital for convergence of policy and programs.   “In 2010, we championed the Forest Resources Bill of Haribon Foundation. With 10 years’ worth of research, we fought for that bill on sustainable forest management. It was eventually approved,” said Governor Defensor.   Dr. Wei Sen Li, Executive Director of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Emergency Preparedness Capacity Building Center (APECEPCC) and Secretary-General of the Taiwan National Science and Technology Center for Disaster Reduction (NDCR), enumerated in his presentation the vital elements to mitigate flooding in Iloilo.   "Knowledge, scenario, and risk and evaluation are the basic things we need in disaster risk reduction so we need to understand how to make science development and innovation in the decision-making process and applications. With UP Visayas, we work together to help Iloilo City. First is to have a scientific prediction. Then, install a lot of early warning sensors to keep real-time monitoring of the information that helps us revise our scientific prediction, and also to monitor the situation. If we can work these things together, I think we already have the elements to succeed in fighting against flood,” he said.   Towards the end of the program, a resolution implementing measures for flood risk reduction and resilience was signed by the local chief executives and heads of institutions and offices in Iloilo.   The said resolution provided recommendations for consideration of decision-makers, which includes:   Complete implementation of the Comprehensive Drainage Masterplan for Iloilo City that includes the full implementation of Stage 2 and Stage 3 of the Iloilo River Flood control project; Strengthening and sustaining the operation and maintenance of flood mitigation activities, facilities, structures, waterways, and drainage systems; Restoration and conservation of watersheds; A comprehensive study on the river systems and their effects on flooding, including the mapping of the connectivity between river systems, the floodways, spillways, and drainage system, and the integration of local knowledge with science; Institutionalization of Standard Operating Procedures in response to flooding occurrences; Comprehensive training and capacitation of local personnel to address flooding issues and occurrences; Strengthening community-based and managed flood prevention, preparedness, mitigation, and response; Develop programs, projects, and activities (PPAs) that directly address and reduce social. cultural, economic, environmental, physical vulnerabilities and drivers of flood risks; Mainstreaming DRR and CCA in all development plans, in line with the Rationalized Planning System JMC 2007-1 between the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), to include provisions that incorporate flood resilience in plans, programs, projects, and activities of the City and Province of Iloilo to reduce economic, sociocultural, environmental, physical, and institutional impacts of flooding on the lives and assets of llonggos; and Institutionalization through legislation of co-beneficial infrastructure, social, economic, and environment development plans and programs with the private sector that will enhance flood resilience in the City and the Province of Iloilo.   “Nature-based solutions, which are sustainable and cost-effective, offer great potential to reduce risks from multiple hazards and to yield jobs, improve livelihoods, and protect biodiversity,” Legarda said. 

MANILA, 15 December 2020 — Deputy Speaker and Antique Representative Loren Legarda called for increased global climate ambition as global warming advances rapidly this year, making 2020 one of the warmest years ever recorded.   According to the 2020 provisional State of the Global Climate report by the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the year 2020 is set to be one of the three warmest years on record with the average global temperature at about 1.2°C above pre-industrial levels, despite a cooling effect of the La Niña phenomenon. This decade (2011-2020) will be the warmest decade on record; the six warmest years on record have all been in the past six years (2015-2020) and the trend is set to continue due to the increasing heat-trapping greenhouse gases (GHG) in the atmosphere.   The report, which is based on temperature data from January to October this year, shows how high-impact events including extreme heat, wildfires, and floods affected millions of people, compounded threats to human health and security and economic stability posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.   Despite the COVID-19 lockdown, which reduced industrial activities and decreased air traffic, atmospheric concentrations of GHG continued to rise, committing the planet to further warming for many generations to come because of the long lifetime of CO2 in the atmosphere, according to the report.   The WMO assessment is based on five global temperature datasets, all of which currently place 2020 as the 2nd warmest for the year to date, following 2016 and ahead of 2019. The difference between the warmest three years is small, however, and exact rankings for each data set could change once data for the entire year are available. The final 2020 report will be published in March 2021.   The Paris Agreement states that countries must act to prevent the global average temperature from rising more than 2°C and use whatever measures possible to limit this rise to 1.5°C. But with temperatures expected to continue rising, the WMO arrives at the estimation of a one-in-five chance of it temporarily exceeding 1.5°C by 2024. Such global warming will intensify extreme weather events such as floods, forest fires and droughts.   In 2020, several regions of the world were grappling with wildfires of record sizes. All these fires propelled clouds of smoke to high altitudes that circled the Earth while adding even more carbon dioxide to the greenhouse gases in our atmosphere.   With 96 cyclones and storms, statistics for the year 2020 are well above the historical average. Floods in different parts of the world, including the Philippines, displaced large numbers of people and undermined food security for millions. More than 50 million people have suffered a double impact this year: climate disasters and pandemics. 10 million people turned into “climate refugees”, who had to leave their homes due to these extreme weather events.   “This assessment attests that the entire planet is under a climate emergency, and that failure to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions and to build the adaptive capacities of communities to climate change at the same time would lead to unprecedented loss to human society, environment, and the global economy,” Legarda said.   Although the pandemic has been the biggest concern to many people in 2020, for millions in climate-vulnerable places, Legarda stressed that the climate emergency remains one of the biggest threats to human survival, and only greater ambition and urgent action in reducing the GHG emissions could help the world meet the necessary scale and pace to evade the catastrophic effects of our changing climate.   “Developed countries, historically responsible for the climate crisis, should step up their climate action to achieve the 1.5°C long-term temperature goal of the Paris Agreement. This is to spare vulnerable countries like us from the continuous cycle of loss and damage,” Legarda concluded.

MANILA, 15 December 2020 — Environmental experts, advocates for climate change resilience, and members of the academe and civil society gathered virtually today to discuss the importance of nature-based solutions in building better climate change resilience for countries in the ASEAN region and beyond at the “Biodiversity and Building Resilience to Impacts of Climate Change in ASEAN” webinar.   The virtual event, moderated by Mr. Jerome Ilagan, Chief of the Policy Research and Development, Climate Change Commission of the Philippines (CCC), featured biodiversity experts Mr. Tristan Tyrrell, Programme Officer of SwedBio; Dr. Isabelle de Lovinfosse, Head of Southeast Asia COP26 Strategy, British High Commission; and Mr. Krissusandi Gunui’, Executive Director of Institut Dayakologi.   In his opening statement, Mr. Ilagan said, “The manifestations of climate change impacts are now being felt in all countries in the ASEAN region. In a region where biodiversity is recognized as one of the richest in the world, it is imperative that ASEAN take immediate and concerted action to address the impacts of climate change.”   This would set the tone for the webinar as other speakers discussed the importance of taking immediate action towards building resilience in the region and the rest of the world.    “There is no denying that climate change and its severe impacts on the environment and our lives and well-being are already here. We can no longer keep this to our back burner as this issue cuts across the present challenges that hound us today. The far-reaching consequences of climate change disrupt our daily lives and stunt our development. ASEAN countries, especially in the past few months, have experienced stronger and more disruptive typhoons that came one after the other, leaving people dead and destroying millions worth of properties. Indeed, this climate crisis is one of the main culprits that drive the loss of nature. But the main paradox here is that biodiversity and its ecosystem services also underpin our principal solutions and efforts to tackle climate change and its impacts. Without healthy biodiversity, our fight against climate change should be an impossible feat,” Executive Director Dr. Theresa Mundita Lim of the ASEAN Center for Biodiversity (ACB) said in her opening remarks.   Assistant Secretary Ricardo Calderon of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) observed that, “We experienced five typhoons that hit the country and we could see that despite the well-managed protected areas with the average forest cover of 75%, there’s still flooding, there’s still swelling of the rivers. It simply means that our natural ecosystems cannot anymore absorb this kind of extreme rainfall-type events. And the impact, as far as the community is concerned, to the natural resources including the wildlife is very severe and very difficult to recover.”   His statement is just one of the few that followed as government officials and environmental experts made sense of the devastation linked to climate change.   Dr. Isabelle de Lovinfosse discussed the United Kingdom’s planned key campaigns for COP26. She discussed the country’s plans on closing the ambition gap to address the Paris Agreement’s three pillars, namely: (1) to increase the level of ambition by governments and non-government actors; (2) to mobilize international climate finance from donor countries and the private sector to support other countries; and (3) to increase efforts that are devoted to domestic and international acceleration in support of ASEAN economies and communities.     “Climate and biodiversity are forever closely interdependent. Climate change is already impacting biodiversity losses and ecosystem damage. And the same human activities are the drivers of both issues, like unsustainable land use, deforestation, intensive agriculture, and natural resource destruction. Nature-based solutions are not the only solutions to climate change problems, but they have a large role to play,” said Dr. Lovinfosse.   Countries in the ASEAN region continue to bear the impacts of climate change and land degradation wreaks havoc on biodiversity, thus resilience is needed more than ever. The COVID-19 crisis has brought to light shortcomings in several areas, from insufficient disaster risk reduction in several countries to the inequities in the global economy. However, as shared by Dr. Nagulendran Kangyatkarasu, the Deputy Secretary-General of Malaysia’s Ministry of Environment and Water, they are choosing to use this time as an opportunity to come up with more robust solutions to address the impacts of climate change in relation to biodiversity.   Following the presentations, invited reactors shared their thoughts and opinions on the topic. The overarching theme was a call for cooperation in the international community. They discussed the need for the active participation of the public and private sectors in resilience building.   Biodiversity and the natural environment possess functions that mitigate the manifestations of climate change impacts. In adopting and implementing nature-based solutions and ecosystem-based adaptation, countries in the ASEAN region and around the world are one step closer to improving risk mitigation and conservation efforts.    This webinar was organized by the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity, in collaboration with the Climate Change Commission, with support from SwedBio at the Stockholm Resilience Centre.

MANILA, 14 December 2020 — Deputy Speaker and Antique Representative Loren Legarda today called on the youth to use their power to spark movement and raise awareness on environmental justice, sustainability, and climate action.   Legarda made the call during her virtual speech titled "On Climate Action and Accountability: The Journey Towards Environmental Justice" at the EcoSummit 2020: The First National Youth Environmental Forum organized by the official student government of Ateneo de Davao University.   “Our country is no stranger to the impacts of climate change. But averting loss and damage and coping in the aftermath of these extreme weather events, which have become more intense and damaging in the last decade, are an additional burden against limited resources of a developing, fast growing nation. Climate-related disasters are undoing years of development gains,” Legarda stressed.   The Philippines was recently hit by typhoons Quinta, Rolly, and Ulysses in the past months, which massively destroyed infrastructure and agricultural lands and submerged the communities in floodwater. It ranked fourth among countries most affected by climate change from 1999 to 2018 in the 2020 Global Climate Risk Index by the Germanwatch. An annual average of 0.5% of GDP has been lost due to climate change impacts.   Coupled with the challenges of COVID-19, Legarda said that the country needed to push for a pandemic recovery that also strives for climate resilience in order to protect vulnerable communities.   “As we have declared in the Global Commission on Adaptation, the matter of accelerating adaptation measures has also never been more important. Climate shocks are happening now, intersecting with and exacerbating impacts of COVID-19. Building resilience to climate impacts will be critical to response and recovery efforts. We have been on the receiving end of extreme weather events at the expense of our fellow Filipinos’ lives, livelihoods, and resources,” added Legarda.   Legarda also co-authored House Resolution No. 1377 declaring a climate and environmental emergency to ensure “enhanced and coherent climate actions in the executive and legislative agenda of the government,” which was sponsored by the House Committee on Climate Change and unanimously approved by the House of Representatives on November 25, 2020.   “In the name of climate justice, we will continue calling for greater leadership and action from the developed countries that have caused this climate crisis. Climate justice is to demand for what is right and just for the Filipinos. It is to improve our capacity to adapt and mitigate. It is to commit to upholding the right of every Filipino to a better life,” Legarda said.   “But within our country, we also need to exhibit leadership and action. We need to build on our progress so far and identify gaps within our systems in order to spur and normalize climate action on the ground and down to the last mile,” Legarda added.   Citing the 2017 Philippine Climate Change Assessment Report of the Climate Change Commission and PAGASA projections, Legarda said that regions in the Philippines, including Mindanao, are experiencing seasonal aridity and recurrent droughts and manifest conditions and effects of desertification processes, and will continue to experience large decreases in rainfall and longer drier periods which will affect the amount of water in watersheds and dams, thereby limiting agricultural and energy production.   The observed temperature in the country is projected to increase by as much as 0.9°C to 2.3°C by 2050, entailing drastic changes in weather patterns, increase in frequency, intensity and duration of floods, and increase in frequency and intensity of droughts, according to PAGASA,   Sea level rise in the country is projected to be at 60 centimeters or three times the global average of 19 centimeters, with 60 percent of local government units at risk to storm surges, flashfloods, and saltwater intrusion.   “These and many more are a stark reminder that climate change is a clear and present threat to the lives of all Filipinos, particularly our most vulnerable sectors of our society. I am talking about our local communities, the lumad, farmers, fisherfolks, persons with disabilities, women, children, and the elderly,” Legarda emphasized.   Legarda underscored the need for participation of all sectors, especially the youth, in addressing the climate emergency. Legarda then challenged the youth to raise awareness, inspire people, and find solutions to the emerging challenges of the world today.   “Our youth will not just simply inherit this world. You are part of this process of building our nation and our planet. You have the passion, skills, creativity, and energy to effect positive change. You are not just the leaders of tomorrow. You are already the leaders of today,” Legarda concluded. 

MANILA, 14 December 2020 — Representatives from the building industry gathered for a two-day online conference on the development of country standards on climate-smart buildings (CSB) as part of the 13th Annual Global Warming and Climate Change Consciousness Week. The event, organized by the Climate Change Commission (CCC) together with the UN Development Programme (UNDP), was streamed on Facebook live.   As the country continues to face the adverse impacts of climate change such as extreme weather events, the CCC said that design standards for buildings must incorporate elements that make CSBs the first line of defense against natural climate-related disasters. The building sector also accounts for nearly 40 percent of the global energy-related carbon emissions, making it a critical player in the country’s low carbon transition efforts. Aiming for reduced emissions from buildings can be a significant component of climate mitigation strategies especially in cities.   Thus, the forum participants discussed two major topics: (i) Designing for the Environment: Beyond Efficiencies and (ii) Designing with Technology: Tools and Techniques for Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation.   The first day of the webinar focused on (i) Regenerative Built-Environment Systems Thinking, including a discussion on CSB features for disaster preparedness, (ii) Strategies on Food Generation, and (iii) Strategies on Water Security; while the second day featured sessions on (i) Net-Zero towards Net Positive, (ii) Sustainability-Measuring-Technologies: Role of Information Technology for Building’s Performance, and (iii) Indoor Environment, Air Quality, and Hands-free Technology.   These form part of ongoing efforts to strengthen partnerships and institutional arrangements and intensify advocacy and capacity building to promote inclusive, convergent, and sustainable implementation and compliance with CSB standards.   The event gathered representatives from national government agencies, local government units, academic institutions, architecture and engineering organizations, and civil society groups.   Through the forum, the CCC hopes to sustain and strengthen cooperation from the building sector in greening the economy and building resilience of the communities to climate impacts.   “As game changers and agents of change, you can certainly make a difference in transforming the Philippine society into low carbon. Your expertise and green designs are key to innovating and climate-proofing the country’s buildings and infrastructure,” said CCC Secretary Emmanuel M. de Guzman in his inspirational message.   This Development of Philippine Standards for Climate-Smart Buildings was co-organized by the CCC and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in collaboration with Green Architecture Advocacy Philippines (GreenAP), under its 17th Green Forum – the Philippines’ longest-running Green Architecture event, and with the support from the United Architects of the Philippines (UAP) and Green Restorative Actions and Sustainable Solutions (GRASS).   Watch the replay via: Day 1: https://www.facebook.com/uappdcwebinars20202021/videos/389119785568972 Day 2: https://www.facebook.com/uappdcwebinars20202021/videos/421001405764409

MANILA, 12 December 2020 — The Climate Change Commission (CCC) called on global and national leaders to keep climate ambition and action alive in support of the goals of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, which was adopted by 195 countries, including the Philippines, five years ago.   It was formally adopted through Decision 1/CP.21 during the 21st Conference of Parties (COP21) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Paris on December 12, 2015.   As a landmark agreement to combat climate change and accelerate and intensify actions and investments needed for a sustainable low carbon future, the Paris Agreement brought developed and developing nations for the first time into a common cause—to undertake ambitious efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, mostly in the form of carbon dioxide, and adapt to its effects.   The Paris Agreement primarily aims to keep the global temperature rise this century to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5ºC. It also aims to strengthen the countries’ resilience to climate change impacts, as well as increase mobilization of climate finance for adaptation and mitigation initiatives.   Developed countries are urged to take greater action to support these ambitious goals. Sufficient financial flows, technologies, and capacity development support should be made available to developing countries and the most vulnerable countries. The Agreement also puts in place transparency, compliance, and reporting mechanisms to track the progress of these goals.   While the CCC recognized that the Paris Agreement spurred many countries to increase pledges on climate finance and to commit net zero carbon emissions targets, the agency also said that countries need to present more ambitious climate plans, in line with COVID-19 recovery plans, to ensure that the 1.5ºC long-term temperature goal of the Paris Agreement is achieved.   The CCC noted that the Paris Agreement requires countries to communicate their greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets and outline mitigate and adaptation options through their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), which need to be submitted by the end of this year.   The climate body also mentioned that House Resolution No. 1377 calling for the declaration of a national climate emergency in the Philippines, the issuance of a moratorium on new coal power projects, and the adoption of a sustainable finance framework in the banking and financing industry are some of the ambitious announcements of the Philippines towards low-carbon and climate-resilient development.   The CCC hopes that the celebration of the 5th anniversary of the Paris Agreement puts the climate crisis at the heart of the global agenda and reminds all nations of the common goal and aspiration they committed to five years ago for a safer, healthier, and more sustainable planet for all.

MANILA, 12 December 2020 — Five years since nations across the world adopted the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, House Deputy Speaker and Antique Congresswoman Loren Legarda today called on the developed countries to honor their commitments to the landmark climate treaty, which primarily aims to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius and urges to mobilize climate finance, technologies, and capacity development for developing countries.   The Paris Agreement was formally adopted on December 12, 2015 at the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP21) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). It entered into force or became operational on November 4, 2016, thirty days after at least 55 countries accounting for at least 55% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions had ratified the Agreement. There are 189 countries that have ratified the Agreement.   As senator, Legarda sponsored the Senate Resolution to concur in President Duterte’s signing of the Paris Agreement on February 28, 2017. The Senate unanimously approved the resolution on March 14, 2017. The Paris Agreement took effect in the Philippines on April 22, Earth Day, a month after the instruments of accession were submitted to the UN.   “The Paris Agreement establishes the obligations of all nations to contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation. It is a vehicle towards achieving climate justice as it compels developed nations that have contributed the most to cause global warming and climate change to take deep and significant cuts to their greenhouse gas emissions,” Legarda said.   “Developed countries are also expected to mobilize climate finance and channel them through the Green Climate Fund, as well as provide support to developing and vulnerable nations through capacity building and technology transfer. The Agreement is governed by transparency and compliance mechanisms that will ensure continued collective progress towards meeting these ambitious global goals,” Legarda added.   In 2015, months ahead of the gathering of world leaders in COP21, Legarda delivered the Manila Call to Action on Climate Change, which was launched during the state visit of French President Francois Hollande in the Philippines.   Legarda, who authored the Climate Change Act and previously chaired the Senate Committees on Climate Change, Foreign Relations, and Finance, worked behind the scenes in pushing for the Philippines' ratification, explaining the Agreement to Cabinet members, and coordinating with various climate organizations.   Legarda also stated that the Philippines, as chair of the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) during the negotiations in December 2015, was successful in championing the more ambitious climate goal of 1.5°C, compared to 2°C, in the final text of the Paris Agreement.   She noted that the 1.5°C goal, which was backed up by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, is the threshold for survival for developing countries, as well as an opportunity for all countries to transition towards a low carbon and climate-resilient development path.   “We need bold climate action in terms of transformational planning and financing in all sectors, and we need the involvement of all actors in the community, most especially to spur locally led action. For all these, industrialized nations must lead towards the low carbon pathway. Only if the 1.5-degrees limit is met can we bring about sustainable industrial development and eradicate poverty,” Legarda concluded.

MANILA, 11 December 2020 — The 29th episode of “Stories for a Better Normal: Pandemic and Climate Pathways” series and part two of the topic, “Uniting Against Single-Use Plastic” featured programs and activities in government and social enterprises aimed at avoiding single-use plastics and promoting eco-friendly alternatives for a plastic-free environment in this period of pandemic and climate crisis.   Deputy Speaker Loren Legarda was joined by Mayor Josephine Alcantara-Cruz of Donsol, Sorsogon; Jamico Jamlang, Founder of The Bamboo Company; Czarina Constantino, National Lead of the "No Plastics in Nature Initiative" by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) - Philippines; and Wilma Arevalo, President of Kalipunan ng Liping Pilipina (KALIPI).   Jamlang shared the eco-friendly switch story of The Bamboo Company, which aims to introduce bamboo as an alternative to plastic to help combat global deforestation, mitigate climate change, and provide livelihood and economic opportunities. Bamboo decomposes easily, grows fast, and can be sustainably harvested. It has also been shown to be effective in sequestering carbon in the atmosphere.   “What we envision is a simple system where almost everything can be made with bamboo. Through this, we sustainably impact the people and the planet,” said Jamlang.   Constantino introduced the No Plastics in Nature Initiative which aims to stop the flow of plastics into ecosystems by mobilizing cities and tourism destinations to fight plastic pollution, pushing for national support to the global treaty on marine pollution and Extended Producers' Responsibility, working with businesses to implement public commitments to reduce or eliminate unnecessary plastics in their operations, and spark conversations and individual actions to address plastic pollution.   “With the participation of various stakeholders, local government units, the national government, legislators and policymakers, and also businesses and the general public, we can definitely achieve a vision of no plastics. So let us unite against single-use plastic,” said Constantino.   Arevalo introduced KALIPI, an organization that aims to empower women through community livelihood programs, and advocates against climate change. Their products include throw pillows, neck pillows, center table mats, and stuffed toys made from plastic sachets, plastic labo, and styrofoam.   “Lahat kami nagkakaisa sa adbokasiya tungkol sa climate change, at mga clean and green programs especially sa barangay namin. Before tayo lumabas, sa bahay muna tayo magsimula. Tinulungan kami ng WWF at LGU na makagawa ng kakaibang proyekto na pakikinabangan ng kalikasan, at ng kababaihan na magkaroon sila ng livelihood, na 'may pera sa basura'. Hindi lang naging basura yan, mayroon iyang pagkakakitaan,” said Arevalo.   Mayor Cruz shared the initiatives of the Donsol local government unit on plastic waste reduction such as the plastic smart city initiative, NAKAMOTO program, KALIPI Donsol Entrepinay, bottles exchange to different packages, and "Goodbye plastic, Hello basket" program.   “Ang aming goal sa Donsol ay ang pag-create at pag-maintain ng eco-friendly destination not just for the Filipinos, but also for everyone. Kahit na marami na kaming nagawa, patuloy na challenge sa amin ay kung paano namin ma-e-encourage hindi lang ang mga taga-Donsol, kundi maging ang mga dadaan dito sa aming lugar na maging eco-conscious sa aming sarili, sa bahay, at sa lahat,” said Mayor Cruz.   As an online discussion to promote health, environmental consciousness, and climate-adaptive practices, "Stories for a Better Normal" aims to change the mindset of individuals, families, and communities by demonstrating ways in which a ‘better normal’ can be realized within our communities.   This online discussion is organized in partnership between the Office of Deputy Speaker Legarda and the Climate Change Commission, with support from the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities, The Climate Reality Project-Philippines and Mother Earth Foundation.  

MANILA, 10 December 2020 — The Climate Change Commission (CCC) conducted a capacity-building session for the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Regional Offices on the process of national and local Climate Change Expenditure Tagging (CCET) as an integral part of the annual budget preparation.   Held during the 13th Annual Global Warming and Climate Change Consciousness Week, the orientation aims to develop a better understanding of the formulation of climate actions and its linkage to the budgetary and planning process, and of the roles and responsibilities of institutions involved in managing the country’s response to climate change by identifying, designing, and tagging climate adaptation and mitigation programs, activities, and projects for inclusion in the General Appropriations Act.   DBM regional officers discussed national CCET policy, government planning and programming processes and entry points for tagging climate change-related programs, activities, and projects, including the use of Quality Assurance and Review (QAR) Form and BP201-F as prescribed under relevant DBM National Budget Memoranda; and the use of Local Climate Budget Tagging QAR and the Annual Investment Plan template as prescribed under relevant DBM Local Budget Memoranda.   Participants were guided on tagging an agency’s budget in the Online Budget Submission Portal (OBSP). Participants proposed recommendations to strengthen the CCET policy coordination at the national and sub-national level.   Earlier this year in April, the CCC and DBM delivered the annual CCET orientation via the virtual platform to ensure that national institutions are aware and compliant with the CCET requirements provided in the National Budget Preparation for FY2021 memorandum.   The CCET aims to serve as an effective basis for allocating and prioritizing government resources by generating timely statistics and baselines to evaluate the impact of climate public expenditures. It is mandated by Joint Memorandum Circular 2015-01 between the CCC and the DBM, enabling oversight for the agencies to track, tag, and analyze climate change-related expenditures.

MANILA, 9 December 2020 — Following the massive loss and damage caused by recent typhoons that ravaged the greater part of the country, the Climate Change Commission (CCC) National Panel of Technical Experts (NPTE) stressed the need for more scientific studies on tropical cyclones and their link to the climate emergency to reduce impacts and address the climate emergency.   In their statement “Climate Change and the 2020 Tropical Cyclones,” the NPTE called for the conduct of more studies on the changing behavior of tropical cyclones, translation of scientific data on climate change and its impacts on actionable information that will be useful on the ground, and enhanced cooperation among the national government agencies (NGAs), local government units (LGUs), and the scientific community on the implementation of climate change adaptation (CCA) and disaster risk reduction (DRR) measures.   The NPTE, which is composed of the country’s foremost climate scientists,  confirmed that the 2020 tropical cyclone season reveals certain characteristics that may have imprints of a changing climate. It noted that cyclones in 2020 have unusual but consistent attributes that were partially controlled by regional weather phenomena exhibiting unusual behavior this year.   Noting that only two to three weather disturbances are usually recorded during the months of October to November, the scientific advisory body said that Typhoon Quinta, Super Typhoon Rolly, Tropical Storm Siony, Tropical Depression Tonyo, and Typhoon Ulysses were “off-season” tropical cyclones and were likewise slightly higher in latitude compared to where tropical cyclones commonly enter during these months.   The NPTE, in particular, pointed out that the rapid tropical cyclone intensification in the case of Super Typhoon Rolly may have been influenced by the unusually high sea surface temperature consistent with a warming climate.   According to the scientific body, climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction (CCA-DRR) will become an even bigger challenge for the country if natural hazards will be less predictable in the future.   “Climate change should not be used as the reason behind our inability to predict the weather and manage flooding but instead, it should challenge us to find ways of improving our forecasting accuracy, enhancing Early Warning Systems, and responding to floods accordingly to prevent the unnecessary loss of lives and damage to properties,” the NPTE stated.   The experts said that there is a need to initiate further studies on potential climate variability to improve the prediction of the track, timing, and intensity of tropical cyclones. They noted that the revision of the dam release protocols consider the changes in climate change projections and hydrologic characteristics,   Moreover, the experts highlighted the need for scientists and professional communicators to work together in packaging scientific information into timely, accurate, and actionable warnings understood by all stakeholders.   Lastly, the experts urged NGAS and LGUs to constantly seek the advice of mandated scientific advisory bodies when planning and implementing CCA programs and DRR interventions in all types of development plans.   Climate Change Commission Vice Chairperson Emmanuel M. De Guzman said that the recommendations of the NPTE support the policy advocacy of the Commission for a whole-of-society approach in addressing the prevailing climate emergency.   “To survive and thrive in this era of climate change, we must heed the science and let it inform national and local development planning. In line with this, the Climate Change Commission has adopted a National Climate Risk Management Framework which provides direction and guidance to national government agencies, local government units, academe, and other key stakeholders in undertaking more comprehensive national and local risk assessments and formulating risk management strategies and interventions,” he said.   De Guzman also said that the Commission shall continue to promote the value of science informing policy and practice in the context of climate action. “Our goal is to bring our experts closer to our leaders and local communities to promote broader multi-stakeholder participation and to accelerate the mainstreaming of climate change mitigation and adaptation in national and local policy and planning processes,” he said.   Earlier this year, the NPTE submitted a resolution to the CCC urging the declaration of the climate emergency. The said resolution also urged the government to mobilize its people, institutions, and resources to identify cities and municipalities that are most at risk from the changing climate.

MANILA, 9 December 2020 — A discussion by government and civil society on the nexus of climate change, health, and gender towards transitioning to a better normal formed part of the 13th Global Warming and Climate Change Consciousness Week with the theme "Adapting For A Sustainable Future."   The “Climate Change and Health: A Gender Lens”, an online dialogue organized by the Climate Change Commission, in partnership with the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities and the Asian-Pacific Resource and Research Centre for Women’s (ARROW) Women and Earth Initiative (WORTH) was streamed via Zoom and Facebook Live last November 24.   “We have various studies all over the world and here in the Philippines that point out that women are disproportionately impacted by the climate crisis, and that women have increased exposure to risks from the threats of climate impacts. Let us acknowledge and highlight the insights and experiences and roles of women to further drive climate ambition and action in our country and in the world,” CCC Commissioner Rachel Herrera said in her opening remarks.   Director Anna Liza Bonagua of the Department of Interior and Local Government-Bureau of Local Government Development presented the subnational efforts to mainstream climate change in local development plans and what are the existing policies plans regarding climate change planning.   “There are steps that we are advocating mainstream climate into the development planning process. First, the organization of the planning committee that will become a champion in the integration of climate into the entire planning process for the LGUs. Second, gathering of the information requirements that will be included in the ecological profile. This should be climate-specific information such as maps, projections, and historical records. The third is the current and future climate risk assessment and vulnerability analysis, corresponding to the vulnerability of the locality, and development of options to adapt and enable climate-resilient development. These are the identification of the programs, projects, and activities that the LGUs should include in their comprehensive development plans, as well as in their investment program. The next one is ensuring the financing of DRR and CCA measures. A plan without a budget is just a plan. And then the implementation, monitoring and evaluation.” Dir. Bonagua said.   Dr. Glenn Roy Paraso, member of the CCC’s National Panel of Technical Experts and Executive Director of the Mary Johnston Hospital, highlighted the gender-differentiated impacts of climate change and health crises.   “Health, per se is neutral, however, culture’s gender norms and values give rise to gender differences. Both gender differences and gender inequality can give rise to inequities between men and women in health status and access to health care. What we do in the Mary Johnston Hospital, we launched a Mission Continuity Plan and part of that was to provide access to access to transportation to and from a pick-up point, because the majority of our personnel in the hospital are female. Another example is we provided housing for them within the hospital. These are some examples of how we are looking to implement more gender-sensitive measures for our personnel,” Dr. Paraso said.   Following the panel discussions, breakout sessions focused on national and local policy development, identifying frameworks and analysis of support to planning, and cross-cutting issues across topics to incorporate gender as the main criterion for resilience building. Specifically, the breakout sessions identified the challenges faced in integrating gender and development in climate change; key elements in relation to input, process and output of gender, health, and climate analysis; and how to approach the discussion on the gender and climate nexus during the present pandemic.   With the COVID-19 pandemic, the onslaught of extreme weather events, and the creeping impacts of slow-onset events such as sea level rise and increasing temperature, various gender issues have emerged - some visible, while some left in the shadows, but both needing closer analysis and due consideration. The event created a platform for stakeholder dialogue to surface the interlinkages of climate, health, and gender towards developing a joint agenda for government and civil society to develop gender and health-responsive climate change and development action, plans and policies toward a better normal. Watch the replay of The Climate Change and Health: A Gender Lens through this link: https://web.facebook.com/CCCPhl/videos/4602131439861953

MANILA, 8 December 2020 — Government leaders, social entrepreneurs, and advocates against single-use plastic will gather virtually to discuss the promotion of eco-friendly alternatives and a plastic-free environment on the 29th episode of “Stories for a Better Normal: Pandemic and Climate Change Pathways” with the topic, “Uniting Against Single-Use Plastic.”   The episode, hosted by House Deputy Speaker Loren Legarda, will air on Thursday, 10 December 2020, 10:00 AM via Facebook Live at facebook.com/CCCPhl and facebook.com/conglorenlegarda.   Jamico Jamlang, Founder of The Bamboo Company; Czarina Constantino, National Lead of the No Plastics in Nature Initiative by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) - Philippines; Wilma Arevalo, President of Kalipunan ng Liping Pilipina (KALIPI); and Mayor Josephine Alcantara-Cruz of Donsol, Sorsogon will be joining the online conversation.   The episode will focus on private sector initiatives that dissuade the use of single-use plastic in the country. In addition to this, it will feature the local initiatives that are addressing plastic waste management in communities and in nature. Likewise, the online conversation will discuss the eco-friendly alternatives to essential items, such as products made from bamboo and recycled materials.   The COVID-19 crisis has contributed to the growing plastic pollution problem as people buy and utilize single-use items, such as disposable face masks and plastic cutlery and food packaging materials, to prevent contamination and the further spread of the virus.   The upcoming episode will feature an online store that promotes the use of bamboo products as alternatives to plastic, a national initiative that seeks to stop plastic waste leakage in nature, a local government unit that has signed up for the initiative, and a women’s organization that participates in activities that aim to reduce and manage waste while maximizing livelihood opportunities.   In last week’s episode, the online series tackled a local ban on single-use plastic, a non-profit organization’s initiative to raise awareness on plastic pollution, and an online store’s drive to promote the use of plastic alternatives.     This online discussion is organized in partnership between the Office of Deputy Speaker Legarda and the Climate Change Commission, with support from the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities, The Climate Reality Project-Philippines and Mother Earth Foundation.

MANILA, 5 December 2020 — Advocates against single-use plastics gathered virtually to promote ways to urgently reduce plastic pollution and raise awareness on the negative effects of single-use plastics on public health, environment, and climate, on the 28th episode of “Stories for a Better Normal: Pandemic and Climate Pathways” with the topic, “Uniting Against Single-Use Plastic.”   The online conversation hosted by Deputy Speaker Loren Legarda featured Mayor Edwin David Santiago of San Fernando City, Pampanga; Ms. Lara Angelique Lacson, founder of Eco Warrior PH, an online store focused on reducing single-use plastics; and Mr. Juls Rodriguez, founding member of Plastic Tides PH, a non-profit organization that seeks to raise awareness on plastic pollution.   In the episode, Legarda said that the perennial plastic pollution in the country has aggravated the level of floodings in the different areas in Luzon brought by the recent typhoons. She also cited a report from the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA), which reported that Filipinos use 59.7 billion pieces of sachets, 17.5 billion pieces of shopping bags, 16.5 billion pieces of plastic labo bag, and 1.1 billion diapers yearly.   Legarda stressed that single-use plastics pollute the ocean, rivers, and even canals, and cause suffocation among marine animals and birds. Producing plastics also generates greenhouse gas emissions, which exacerbates global warming and climate change, which cause erratic rainfalls and rising sea levels.   “We are an archipelago with over 30 million hectares of beautiful islands. Pero kung ang lawa, ilog, karagatan ay may mga lumulutang na ginamit na single-use plastic, nagdudulot ito ng polusyon. Sa oras na tinatapon natin ang ginamit nating plastic, ito'y mananatili sa mundo ng daan-daang taon—higit pa sa itatagal ng ating buhay. Why would we want to create waste that will outlive us? We have to recycle and reuse and support products that are sustainable,” Legarda stressed.   Mayor Santiago shared how the San Fernando City’s ordinance on regulating the use of plastic bags and prohibiting the use of polystyrene (styro) for food products, changed the disposable consumerist mentality of his constituents. By promoting the use of reusable alternatives, San Fernando has become a green and sustainable model city.   Mayor Santiago also emphasized the importance of the strict implementation of Republic Act No. 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management (ESWM) Act of 2000 in regulating plastic wastes.   “The City of San Fernando wants to be part of the solution, not the problem. Walang tinatawag na magandang pamumuhay kung hindi natin mamanduhin ang mga plastic. To make our cities clean, i-implement natin ang RA 9003 sa isip at sa puso,” said Mayor Santiago.   Lacson, a young ecopreneur, shared the beginnings and advocacy of Eco Warrior PH in reducing single-use plastics. She also encouraged the public to minimize waste in their day-to-day activities by choosing and using sustainable and eco-friendly products, doing recycling hacks, and patronizing refilling stations to achieve a zero-waste lifestyle.   “Before, it used to be reduce, reuse, recycle. Now, I think, we also have to refuse single-use plastic. Since magpa-Pasko na, be a smart consumer. Ibig sabihin, ‘pag nagregalo tayo, sana yung nagagamit ng mga tao. Lalo na sa wrappers, mag-reuse lang tayo," said Lacson.   Rodriguez is the founder of Plastic Tides PH, an environmental non-profit organization that combines adventure and science to raise awareness against environmental pollution and to inspire the next generation of sustainability advocates. Aside from tackling the issue of plastic pollution, Plastic Tides PH established science-inspired and adventure-driven partnerships through public education, content creation, and outdoor expeditions in different areas in the Philippines, such as Isla Verde, Taal Lake, and Pasig River.   “Ine-empower namin ‘yung mga tao na nasa scene of plastic pollution awareness para makagawa rin sila ng bagong campaign online, para makatulong rin sa mga mission nila. We want to help the helpers, especially dito sa Pilipinas, kasi kung hindi, then we're all in this boat together and it is sinking. So dapat talaga lahat tayo may partnership at may co-working ability para in the end, lahat tayo ay happy,” said Rodriguez   In conclusion, Legarda encouraged the guests to promote and raise awareness in every household and community to comply and follow the environmental laws, particularly the ESWM Law, which intends to mainstream effective waste management practices—such as segregation of garbage at source, segregated transportation, processing, treatment, and proper disposal of solid waste.   “We will continue to teach everyone until we live sustainably, until every Filipino family lives in a healthy, safe, and resilient environment, where people are not hungry, where people live attuned with nature,” Legarda concluded.   As an online discussion to promote health, environmental consciousness, and climate-adaptive practices, "Stories for a Better Normal" aims to change the mindset of individuals, families, and communities by demonstrating ways in which a ‘better normal’ can be realized within our communities.   “Stories for a Better Normal” is an on-going webinar series that is held via Zoom app and live-streamed at the Climate Change Commission’s Facebook page [facebook.com/CCCPhl] every Thursday. On 10 December 2020, 10:00 AM, the panel will feature Jamico Jamlang, founder of The Bamboo Company; Czarina Constantino, the national lead for the No Plastics in Nature Initiative, WWF - Philippines; Wilma Arevalo, president of Kalipunan ng Liping Pilipina (KALIPI) in Donsol, Sorsogon, and Donsol Mayor Josephine Alcantara-Cruz.   In next week’s episode, titled “Uniting Against Single-Use Plastic,” the speakers will discuss local government and private sector initiatives that help reduce single-use plastics. Likewise, the discussion aims to raise awareness of the impact of single-use plastics on the community, specifically people’s health, the environment, and the climate.   This online discussion is organized in partnership between the Office of Deputy Speaker Legarda and the Climate Change Commission, with support from the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities, The Climate Reality Project-Philippines and Mother Earth Foundation.

MANILA, 4 December 2020 — Animation film “Our World” bagged the first-ever Klima Film Festival’s (KFF) Best Film award and other major prizes during online ceremonies held on November 25 via Facebook Live.   “Our World” is a story of Nymfa the nymph, who is a loving and delicate creature living with her powerful elemental dragons named Ember (fire), River (water), and Skye (wind). They all live in peace and serenity, until one day, invaders from the intricate royal castle arrive and create obstacles to their harmonious living. Aside from the grand prize, which comes with a cash prize of P50,000, the young film makers and first-time animators – Jerome Pineda, Kit Aguilar, Jackie Galario, and Dom Bitang of Aquarian Eye Media – also took home the following awards: Best Screenplay, Best Musical Scoring (triple tie), Best in Research and Content, and Most Liked Teaser.   The Festival’s 1st Runner-up, to receive a cash prize of Php 30,000, is “Verdant” directed by Mikone Joshua Calungsod of Ang Maharlika Productions, while “Resilience” directed by Lance Lascano and Kris Angel Ditan of South Frame Visuals finished as 2nd runner-up and took home Php 20,000.   After a series of deliberations conducted jointly by the Climate Change Commission and Oscar M. Lopez (OML) Center, with support from the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board led by Chairperson Rachel Arenas, only 10 made it to the finals.   The 10 films shortlisted were screened by the KFF judges composed of climate champion, Deputy Speaker Loren Legarda; climate science experts; OML Center Executive Director, Dr. Rodel D. Lasco, and CCC Commissioner Rachel Herrera.   The Philippine Commission on Women, led by Chairperson Sandra Montano, also participated in the judging process to select the film with the most gender-responsive content.   For the first time in history, the KFF was able to gather three of the country’s most respected filmmakers as part of its panel of judges – National Artist for Film and the Father of Philippine Independent Cinema, Mr. Eric de Guia, also known as “Kidlat Tahimik”; legend in slow cinema movement and director of the 485-minute narrative film, Hele sa Hiwagang Hapis, Mr. Lavrente Indico Diaz; and independent filmmaker who has won several awards including Best Director and Best Film in the Cannes, Berlin and Venice International Film Festivals, Mr. Brillante Mendoza.   Here is the complete list of winners for the first-ever Klima Film Festival:   Grand Winners: ·Best Film - Our World ·1st Runner-Up – Verdant ·2nd Runner-Up - Resilience   Major Awards: ·Best Musical Scoring - Jeremiah at ang Bayan ng Gomorrah (Vision in Perspective Productions), Our World, and Verdant ·Best Production Design - Jeremiah at ang Bayan ng Gomorrah and Verdant ·Best Cinematography – Verdant ·Best Screenplay - Our World ·Best Performance - Jan Arthur Miro Embog from Jeremiah at ang Bayan ng Gomorrah ·Best Director - Mikone Joshua Calungsod of Verdant   Special Awards: ·Most Liked Poster - Manalas (Saligahan Productions) ·Most Liked Teaser - Our World ·Audience Choice Award - Jeremiah at and Bayan ng Gomorrah ·Gender-Responsive Award - Drawings ·Best in Research and Content Award - Our World   Seven Finalists: ·Drawings ·Grow My Mind ·Jeremiah at ang Bayan ng Gomorrah ·Liham ·Litrato ·Si Hiraya at ang Diwa ·Tinig   Winners of major and special awards will receive Php 3,000 each, and the seven finalists will receive Php 5,000 each. Winners will also receive trophies sponsored by the Support CCC II Project implemented jointly by the CCC and the GIZ on behalf of the German Federal Government.   The top 10 entries can also be accessed all day and all night for free through iWant TFC, the Official Media Partner for the KFF, starting November 26, 2020. Access the films through this link: https://tfc.tv/category/list/7512/klima-film-festival   The Klima Film Festival, which ran for five months, is a project of the Climate Change Commission in partnership with the Oscar M. Lopez Center aims to mainstream the effects of climate change through the use of short films written and produced by young Filipino filmmakers across the country.   See the latest updates from the Climate Change Commission and the Oscar M. Lopez Center through their website at https://climate.gov.ph/ and https://www.omlopezcenter.org/. 

MANILA, 2 December 2020 — Advocates against single-use plastic will gather virtually to promote ways to urgently reduce plastic pollution and raise awareness on the negative effects of single-use plastics on people’s health, and on the environment and climate emergency, on the 28th episode of “Stories for a Better Normal: Pandemic and Climate Change Pathways” with the topic, “Uniting Against Single-Use Plastic.” The episode will air on Thursday, 3 December 2020, 10:00 AM via Facebook Live at facebook.com/CCCPhl and facebook.com/conglorenlegarda. Mayor Edwin David Santiago of San Fernando City, Pampanga; Julian Rodriquez, Founding member of Plastic Tides PH; and Lara Angelique Lacson, Founder of Eco Warrior PH  will join the online conversation hosted by House Deputy Speaker Loren Legarda. This episode will focus on the country’s rising problem with plastic pollution, particularly with single-use plastics which have become a symbol of our throwaway culture. Many single-use plastics are used for mere minutes to hours, yet when disposed of, persist in the environment for hundreds of years. The Philippines, despite being known for hosting one of the world’s richest marine ecosystems, is also one of the major sources of plastic trash in the world, contributing almost three million metric tons of plastic wastes and 500,000 metric tons of plastic waste leakage per year. Single-use plastics not only pose pollution problems. Plastic production and incineration contribute to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and hence to climate change. According to the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA), Filipinos use 59.7 billion pieces of sachets, 17.5 billion pieces of shopping bags, 16.5 billion pieces of plastic labo bag, and 1.1 billion diapers yearly. The COVID-19 pandemic has even magnified the problem on single-use plastics as people needed to ensure safety standards that will minimize contamination and further spread of the virus. This has led to utilizing easily disposable items, such as those used for food and other deliveries. The upcoming episode will feature a local government unit banning single-use plastics, a non-profit organization that seeks to raise awareness on plastic pollution, and an online store focused on reducing single-use plastic. As an online discussion to promote health, environmental consciousness, and climate-adaptive practices, "Stories for a Better Normal" aims to change the mindset of individuals, families, and communities by demonstrating ways in which a ‘better normal’ can be realized within our communities. In previous episodes, the online series tackled food gardening and saving seeds, permaculture, good nutrition and diet, native trees, practical sustainability, narrating risk to resilience stories through books, tree pest and disease management, reviving indigenous textiles and crafts, transforming waste into wages, championing sustainable urban mobility, food waste reduction and management, transforming food supply chain, and responsible gardening. This online discussion is organized in partnership between the Office of Deputy Speaker Legarda and the Climate Change Commission, with support from the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities, The Climate Reality Project-Philippines and Mother Earth Foundation.

MANILA, 1 December 2020 — The Climate Change Commission (CCC) lauded the recent adoption by the House of Representatives in plenary of a Resolution by the Committee on Climate Change to declare a climate and environmental emergency in support of the continuing efforts of the government to address the worsening impacts of the climate crisis.   House Resolution No. 1377, introduced by House Committee on Climate Change chair and Bohol 1st District Representative Edgar Chatto; Deputy Speaker and Antique Representative Loren Legarda, the late Cebu City 1st District Representative Raul Del Mar; Lanao del Sur 2nd District Representative Yasser Alonto Balindong; Masbate 2nd District Representative Elisa Kho; Negros Oriental 1st District Representative Jocelyn Sy Limkaichong; Bayan Muna Representative Eufemia Cullamat; and CWS Representative Romeo Momo, Sr. urged the declaration of a climate and environmental emergency, ensuring enhanced and coherent climate actions in the executive and legislative agenda of the government.   “A global campaign to declare a "Climate Emergency" started as early as 2003, in recognition of the intensifying complications brought about by global warming and climate change, and of the corresponding needs and implications to accelerate actions, including investments and mobilization of resources. The key elements of the campaign include the building of public awareness as acknowledgement of the threats of such emergency, the declaration of a climate emergency by governments to trigger societal actions, and demand for mobilization at a sufficient scale and speed, considering the urgency of implementation of such actions,” HR No. 1377 reads.   “In declaring a climate emergency, the government admits that global warming exists and that the measures taken up to this point are not enough to limit the changes brought by it. The decision stresses the need for the government and administration to devise measures that try and stop human-caused global warming,” it added.   HR No. 1377 gave full recognition to the CCC’s National Panel of Technical Experts’ (NPTE) call to shift from using the term “climate change” to “climate emergency” to pursue immediate action against global warming. The NPTE, currently chaired by Dr. Carlos Primo David of the University of the Philippines National Institute of Geological Sciences, had recommended that “as one of the most climatically vulnerable countries in the world, the Philippines should mobilize its people, institutions and resources to enhance its ability to prepare and even prosper amidst the climate emergency.”   Further, HR No. 1377 mandates itself to:  Encourage that climate urgency be placed at the center of all policy decision-making from local to national level; Encourage local governments to issue Climate Change Declarations within their respective jurisdictions; Call on the Climate Change Commission to spearhead the collection and consolidation of relevant data with national government agencies as well as local government units, in collaboration with the National Panel of Technical Experts, to come up with a climate risk assessment of the country, to produce baseline studies that consider future scenarios and impacts of climate change, to perform sustainable development and resilient investment planning, programming and financing at the national, sectoral, and local levels; Call on the major carbon emitters, locally and abroad, to take responsibility for climate change and to reinvest in renewable and sustainable energy; Call on local governments to adopt a "No to Coal" or "No to New Coal Policy" within their respective jurisdictions; Call on local industries and local government units to pursue renewable and sustainable energy sources; Conduct an audit of relevant national government agencies and local government units in relation to their compliance to existing environmental, climate, disaster risk reduction and management and appropriation laws, and international agreements in light of the climate and environmental emergency with the end in view of ensuring an enhanced national monitoring and evaluation system for the implementation of these laws and warranting the accountability of government officials, private entities and other involved stakeholders; and Enjoin national government agencies to promote convergence of efforts toward strengthening data science, technology development, and research for climate change adaptation and mitigation, including the establishment of a national integrated risk information system and a national loss and damage registry, to support science-based policy formulation and risk governance at national and sub-national levels. Earlier this year, the call for a nationwide declaration of climate emergency was also adopted by national government agencies in the Cabinet Cluster for Climate Change Adaptation, Mitigation and Disaster Risk Reduction (CCAM-DRR), in recognition of HR No. 535 authored by Albay Province 2nd District Representative Joey Salceda.   In his previous State of the Nation Addresses, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte expressed in categorical terms that addressing climate change was a key focus of his administration and would continue to be a top priority. This was followed by his stronger expression of resolve in his address to the 2020 UN General Assembly and at the recent 37th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit where he called on other vulnerable countries, along with the Philippines, to demand climate justice and urge developed nations to rapidly cut their carbon emissions which are the most responsible for fueling the climate crisis. He also asked the international community to keep their commitments to the goals of the Paris Agreement.   The Climate Change Commission, as the lead policy-making body of the government for coordinating, monitoring and evaluating climate change programs and policies, underscores the need for the Philippines, being one of the most climate-vulnerable nations, to heighten the capacity of its people to survive amidst the climate emergency by mobilizing its people, institutions and resources.

Sanggumay orchids, Waling-waling (Vanda sanderiana), and Doña Aurora are among the endemic and native plants here in the Philippines. Photo from the presentation of ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity Executive Director Dr. Theresa Mundita Lim. MANILA, 30 November 2020 — Plant experts gathered virtually to underscore the importance of responsible gardening brought by the rising trend of collecting ornamental plants, and the possible environmental consequences and dangers of inaccurate wild plant harvesting to Philippine forests and biodiversity during the 27th episode of “Stories for a Better Normal: Pandemic and Climate Change Pathways” with the topic, “Plant Wise: Responsible Gardening.”   The online conversation hosted by Deputy Speaker Loren Legarda featured Dr. Theresa Mundita Lim, Executive Director of the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity; Dr. Ireneo Lit Jr., entomologist, and curator of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) Museum of Natural History; and Dr. Gideon Lasco, a medical anthropologist from the University of the Philippines Diliman and a research fellow at the Ateneo de Manila Development Studies Program;   Dr. Lasco shared the intricate relationship of humans with plants, highlighting that people have allowed plants to take deeper root, occupying a big part of their daily routines and living spaces.   “Plants also serve as links to the past: plants are “portable trees” that humans can carry along with them in their life journeys, from house to house, from generation to generation. At a time when our very vitality seems imperiled by a deadly pandemic, plants offer an alternate vision of life: one of growth and germination. However, it remains to be seen if this will translate to environmental awareness and action,” said Dr. Lasco.   Dr. Lim discussed the value of planting and growing endemic and native species and the dangers of a thriving plant economy, and showed different over-collected endemic native plant species.   “Dahil sa pagtaas ng mga presyo ng halaman, dumadami ang pumupunta sa mga bundok para manguha ng mga halaman sa ating mga kagubatan. Ang hindi nakikita ng mga tao ay yung ating mga forests ay hindi lang isang klase, 10 types ‘yan. Tumaas ang poaching, sa iba't ibang mga forests ay binubunot ang mga halaman tapos ay ibinibenta. Ang Pilipinas, mataas ang endemicity o yung sinasabing mga halaman na nakikita lang dito sa Pilipinas,” said by Dr. Lim.   Dr. Lit introduced the different invasive non-native species of plants, their negative effects on other plants and the environment, and the proper ways to handle and take care of them.   “Ang pag-aalaga ng halaman ay katulad ng pag-aalaga ng “pets” o alagang aso o pusa. Dapat responsable tayo. Yung aso, hindi inaalpasan kapag nagsawa ka na o hindi mo na kayang alagaan. Ganun din ang mga halaman, babantayan natin,” said by Dr. Lit.   In the episode, Legarda said that due to the community quarantine, many Filipinos have turned to ornamental plant gardening as a way to cope with stress and uncertainty. However, the global and local circulation of plants comes with a significant ecological footprint, and so do all the materials used to tend to them like plastic pots, pesticides, packages used for transport, among others.   “While ornamental plant gardening makes coping with the pandemic a little easier for many people, it is also important to be aware of the threats it poses to the environment, including plant poaching, wildlife trading, and unbridled profiteering,” she added.   “Gardening ornamental plants come with the responsibility of practicing sustainable ways of tending them and making sure that the habitats where they are sourced remain unharmed, so as to not disturb ecosystems that are unique to the Philippines,” Legarda concluded.   As an online discussion to promote health, environmental consciousness, and climate-adaptive practices, "Stories for a Better Normal" aims to change the mindset of individuals, families, and communities by demonstrating ways in which a ‘better normal’ can be realized within our communities.   This online discussion is organized in partnership between the Office of Deputy Speaker Legarda and the Climate Change Commission, with support from the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities, The Climate Reality Project-Philippines and Mother Earth Foundation.

MANILA, 26 November 2020 — In the Inaugural Global Parliamentarians Meeting of the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) held yesterday, high-level representation from the Philippine Senate and House of Representatives were united in the call for stronger engagement among lawmakers of 48 climate-vulnerable countries in light of the climate crisis.   Senate President Vicente Sotto III, House Speaker Lord Allan Jay Velasco, Deputy Speaker and Antique Representative Loren Legarda, and House Committee on Climate Change Chair and Bohol 1st District Representative Edgar Chatto called for the creation of a CVF Parliamentary League as a dedicated cooperation platform to advance a common legislative agenda for integrating climate change adaptation and mitigation and disaster risk reduction in all facets of sustainable development pursuits.   “Enabling our people to survive and prosper in this era of climate change and the pandemic is a moral imperative. We may be vulnerable. Our nations may be at most risk. But together, we can be a powerful force that could drive the global transformation we seek for a safer, healthier, and more sustainable future.” said Senate President Sotto in his remarks.   “The Philippine Nationally Determined Contributions we have set shows the world our resolve to pursue low-carbon development, as well as the support we need from developed countries in terms of climate finance, capacity-building, and technology transfer in the context of climate justice and in accordance with the Paris Agreement,” said House Speaker Velasco.   “We must organize our efforts regionally. It will be our platform for exchanging experiences and good practices on climate action, developing a common stand on critical climate legislation, and strengthening our cooperation in championing the 1.5 Paris goal,” said Legarda. As CVF Ambassador for Parliaments, Legarda also serves as UNDRR Global Champion for Resilience and Board Member in the Global Center on Adaptation, which co-organized the webinar.   “We must influence more, and we must do what we can, because we must, and because solidarity and hope are what will in the end prevail. Through our shared leadership and with far greater urgency, we can hasten the transition of our countries to decarbonized development and ensure a safer, more equitable, and more resilient future for our people,” Legarda added.   Legarda cited massive damages from typhoons that continue to hit the Philippines, the most recent one being typhoon Vamco in November alone, which affected almost four million Filipinos and caused damages to agriculture worth 87 million US dollars and to infrastructure worth 181 million US dollars.   Legarda said that hard-fought development gains and productivity will continue to be undermined, or worse, reversed, if the 1.5 global warming threshold of the Paris Agreement will be breached.   “In light of these intensifying impacts of the climate crisis, we are required to do much more. If countries historically responsible for the climate crisis won’t act with urgency, we in the developing world must act in concert to compel them to take action—to take the lead in deep and drastic cuts in carbon emissions,” Legarda said.   Legarda expressed that vulnerable country parliaments play a crucial role in enhancing countries' Nationally Determined Contributions and in demonstrating climate leadership.   “Using our oversight, legislative, and representation functions, we must take a far more active role in helping steer our peoples away from the dire threats of the climate emergency. I am certain we have all been equal to the task before and I am even more sure now we will be equal to the rough tests ahead of us,” Legarda added.   Coinciding with the meeting was the plenary adoption of House Resolution No. 1377, Resolution Calling for a Climate and Environmental Emergency, sponsored by House Special Committee on Climate Change Chair and Bohol 1st District Representative Edgar Chatto.   The Climate Vulnerable Forum is an international partnership of 48 countries highly vulnerable to a warming planet and serving as a South-South cooperation platform of nations for global climate action. The online meeting was convened in cooperation with the Inter-Parliamentary Union and Global Center on Adaptation.   Other CVF Ambassadors are H.E. Mohamed Nasheed, Speaker of the People’s Majlis and former President of the Maldives; and MP Saber Chowdhury, Honorary President of the IPU and Chair of the Parliamentary Standing Committee in the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) of Bangladesh.

MANILA, 25 November 2020 — House Deputy Speaker Loren Legarda recommended stronger policy measures to help avert future loss and damage and ensure sustainable and resilient recovery, in light of the escalating climate-related disaster risks, compounded by factors caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.   In a privilege speech before the House plenary, Legarda said that the recent back-to-back typhoons that hit provinces in the Luzon and Visayas regions affected more than 6.7 million Filipinos and damaged over 35 billion pesos worth of infrastructure and agriculture.   She also noted that the amount of rainfall brought by the typhoons and the volume of water released by dams and the environmental degradation of the Sierra Madre range as a natural buffer against tropical cyclones have worsened the level of flooding in the affected areas.   Legarda recently filed House Resolution No. 1363 directing the House Sub-Committee on the New Normal to conduct an inquiry on the massive flooding caused by Typhoon Ulysses, in relation to the enforcement of environmental, climate change adaptation and mitigation, and disaster risk reduction and management laws by government agencies and local government units (LGUs).   The resolution also seeks to identify gaps in mainstreaming disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation in development, investment, and land use planning.   Legarda noted that the track of Typhoon Ulysses was almost the same as Ondoy. In terms of rainfall amount, 347 millimeters of Ondoy rains fell within six hours as compared to the 356 millimeters of rains from Ulysses for the whole day on November 12.   She added that other factors led to Ondoy-level flooding during Ulysses, such as land use, construction of settlements and cultivation in flood-prone areas; excessive rainfall due to climate change; and siltation of waterways due to excessive soil erosion because of illegal logging and deforestation.   She also mentioned that poor or non-implementation of the Ecological Solid Waste Management Law also contributed as seen in the huge amounts of plastic debris floating on water. The law, which she principally authored and sponsored in the Senate, mandates the proper segregation of waste at source and the establishment of materials recovery facility within LGUs.   Among the recommendations she noted in the resolution were to:  Regularly declog canals, roadside ditches, and drains, as well as supplement traditional flood mitigation projects, such as river dredging, dike construction, and tree planting upstream, with natural flood intervention programs, such as river and floodplain restoration; Pursue landscape and ecosystem-based comprehensive development and land use planning informed by geohazard maps and risk assessments;  Ensure that geohazard maps are updated to take into account current and projected climate hazards and are well-understood by LGUs, and provide a basis to consider measures based on their assessment of these risks; and Determine areas for improvement in the capability and agility of PAGASA’s systems for climate observation and projection, weather forecasting, and real-time climate information dissemination to dam operators, national government agencies, LGUs, academe, and research institutions; as well as for translating scientific climate information into more relatable messages of potential impacts for more effective risk communication down to the last mile.  “While PAGASA provided timely and accurate scientific information about typhoon Ulysses, this did not translate to how people imagined the typhoon would be. Scientific information must be understandable, actionable, and relatable,” Legarda stated.   As a Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) Ambassador for Parliaments and UNISDR Global Champion for Resilience, Legarda voiced out the need to accelerate and scale up support for vulnerable developing countries like the Philippines in the areas of finance, green technology, and capacity development to build resilience against extreme weather events that are attributed to continued rising emissions of greenhouse gases mostly from industrialized nations.   “To make adaptation truly work for us requires efforts not just among us but from the international community, and both the public and the private sectors, to bring about the needed investments to enable genuine resilience,” Legarda stressed.   In closing, Legarda said that resilience should be all about empowering the people not merely with inspiration but with the right tools and the means to be able to decide and take action, for them not to be defenseless.   “We have described Filipinos as resilient or tenacious in the face of these many disasters that come our way, as if resilience is purely based on spirit and determination. As if wading through neck-deep floodwater, waiting for hours on top of your house to be rescued, or just generally enduring one typhoon after another, is resilience in itself,” Legarda said.   “As leaders of our nation, we are accountable to the people we serve. More lives are at stake, especially in this era of the climate crisis made more challenging by COVID-19. Our decisions and actions will have an impact on our communities and our nation,” Legarda concluded.

MANILA, 24 November 2020 — Plant experts will gather virtually to underscore the importance of responsible gardening brought by the rising trend of collecting ornamental plants on the 27th episode of “Stories for a Better Normal: Pandemic and Climate Change Pathways” with the topic, “Plant Wise: Responsible Gardening.”   The episode, hosted by House Deputy Speaker Loren Legarda, will air on Thursday, 26 November 2020, 10:00 AM via Facebook Live at facebook.com/CCCPhl and facebook.com/conglorenlegarda.   Joining the online conversation are Dr. Gideon Lasco, medical anthropologist from the University of the Philippines Diliman and a research fellow at the Ateneo de Manila University's Development Studies Program; Dr. Theresa Mundita Lim, Executive Director of the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity; and Dr. Ireneo Lit Jr., entomologist and curator of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) Museum of Natural History.   In previous episodes, the online series tackled food gardening and saving seeds, permaculture, good nutrition and diet, planting native trees, practical sustainability, narrating risk to resilience stories through books, tree pest, and disease management, reviving indigenous textiles and crafts, transforming waste into wages, sustainable urban mobility, and food waste reduction and management.   The upcoming episode will focus on the rising popularity of collecting ornamental plants. With more than six months of community quarantine, many Filipinos have turned to ornamental plant gardening as a hobby or to cope up with stress. However, the global and local circulation of plants comes with a significant ecological footprint, and so do all the materials used to tend to them like plastic pots, pesticides, packages used for transport, among others.   While ornamental plant gardening makes coping with the pandemic a little easier for many people, it is also important to be aware of the threats it poses to the environment, including plant poaching, wildlife trading, and unbridled profiteering.   Gardening ornamental plants come with the responsibility of practicing sustainable ways of tending them and making sure that the habitats where they are sourced remain unharmed, so as to not disturb ecosystems that are unique to the Philippines.   This episode will raise awareness on the possible environmental consequences and dangers of inaccurate wild plant harvesting to the Philippines’ native natural forests and biodiversity.   As an online discussion to promote health, environmental consciousness, and climate-adaptive practices, "Stories for a Better Normal" aims to change the mindset of individuals, families, and communities by demonstrating ways in which a ‘better normal’ can be realized within our communities.   This online discussion is organized in partnership between the Office of Deputy Speaker Legarda and the Climate Change Commission, with support from the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities, The Climate Reality Project-Philippines and Mother Earth Foundation.