MANIFESTATION OF SENATOR JOEL VILLANUEVA ON THE CONCURRENCE TO THE PH-GLOBAL GREEN GROWTH INSTITUTE (GGGI) AGREEMENT

Mr. President:

I would like to associate myself with the Sponsorship speech of Senator Marcos and express my full support to the Senate's concurrence to the ratification of the Agreement between the Philippines and the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI).

To mitigate the effects of climate change, many countries have started greening their economies by adopting more eco-friendly approaches to economic production and consumption. There has been an increasing demand for "green jobs" or jobs that reduce the environmental impact of enterprises and economic sectors, ultimately to levels that are sustainable. The concept of "green jobs" is not new in the Philippines. In fact, the 16th Congress passed Republic Act No. 10771 or the "Philippine Green Jobs Act of 2016," through the leadership of Senator Legarda who was then Chairperson of the Committee on Climate Change.

The International Labor Organization views the development of green job skills as not only reactive but as an important driver of change which offers a considerable potential for job generation.[1] The ILO estimates that a shift to a greener economy could create about 24 million new jobs globally by 2030.[2]

This partnership is a welcome development since GGGI is one of the leading international organizations supporting green growth policies and investments. We recognize the paradigm shift to green policies for growth as crucial to promoting sustainability and preserving and protecting the environment. That is why we also filed Senate Bill No. 246 or the Single-Use Plastics Regulation and Management Act, together with Senator Legarda, and introduced an amendment to the PENCAS Bill that promotes the use of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI).

Thank you, Mr. President, and may God bless us all.