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The emerging effects of climate change: Sen. Ramon Bong Revilla Jr., during Wednesday’s plenary deliberations on the proposed 2023 budget of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, November 16, 2022, stresses the ill-effects of climate change on the country’s forest lands, citing the destruction of infrastructures due to massive flooding during typhoons because of denuded mountains. “That’s why I filed Senate Resolution No. 262, which directs the appropriate Senate committee to conduct an inquiry, in aid of legislation, on the palpable and emerging effects of climate change to ensure the safety and welfare of Filipinos,” Revilla said. The senator said the government has already spent a total of P58.142 billion from 2011 to 2022 under the National Greening Program. Under Executive Order No. 193, or the Enhanced National Greening Program, which was signed in 2015, the government aimed to rehabilitate 7.1 million hectares of unproductive, denuded and degraded forest lands. The government, he said, has allotted additional P2.3 billion for this project. “Where are those trees planted? Maybe I should also do a site inspection on these areas,” Revilla said. Sen. Cynthia Villar, who defends the DENR budget, said a total of 1.8 billion trees were planted, 78 percent of which have survived. Under the Enhanced National Greening program, around P1 billion was allotted to existing greening program, mostly with indigenous peoples; and more than P1 billion to 114 legislated protected areas, she said. (Bibo Nueva España/Senate PRIB)