Loren cites Albay, Puerto Princesa role
models in fight against Climate Change

"From spirited talk to spirited action."

That's how Senator Loren Legarda described the Philippines' approach in dealing with climate change, an issue now given much attention worldwide.

"In the Philippine context, Climate change discussions and adaptation efforts gained attention and traction, at least in Congress and at the level of the local government units," Legarda said during her address in the National Conference and Training Needs Assessment of Forests and Climate Change.

Legarda was keynote speaker during yesterday's forum on role of forestry to climate change at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Ortigas, Pasig City.

The event was organized by Environmental Leadership and Training Initiative which is a joint program of Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies and Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, and World Agroforestry Center (of International Centre for Research in Agroforestry).

In attendance were noted speakers from various field, including Drs. Rex Cruz, Dr. Rodel Lasco, Rey Guarin, Ralph Strebel, Prof. Xiaoquan Zhang and Mai Jian.

Legarda, Chair of the Senate Sub-Committee on Climate Change and behind the Luntiang Pilipinas project, cited inspiring works of Albay province and Puerto Princesa City in Palawan with regards to programs intended to mitigate climate risks on human lives.

"The work of saving our planet goes all the way down to grassroots," she said, adding that the LGUs would not only be empowered to devise own climate change adaptation plans and programs, but would also be vested with the full powers to get funding.

Albay has committed to put in place concrete climate-proofing programs in what is now know as the Albay Declaration, wherein the provincial government works with community and grassroots level to concretize several projects meant to mitigate the effects of climate change.

In Puerto Princesa in Palawan Province, several innovations from the city government, with full cooperation from the community leaders - are mocking and defying the reckless use of fossil fuel.

"Other provinces and cities must take a leaf from Albay and Palawan. The Climate change mitigation of these two pioneering LGU leaders takes the two steps of advocacy and transforming it into concrete projects," she said.

The Climate Change Act now waiting for approval in the Senate will provide for the creation of the Commission who shall be chaired by no less than the President of the Republic and assisted by three commissioners.

With its 7,100 islands and islets exposed to potential risk spawned by climate change, the Philippines needs serious effort to help the civilians cope with the disastrous effects of weather extremities.

"Some leaders of government still view climate change as a hoax, and environmental protection as the work of policy sissies," Legarda said, adding that the Philippines lies at the heart of the Axis of Most Geologically Threatened.

"This antediluvian mindset has to be reversed and our information and education efforts are designed to make the public and public leaders fully aware of a global nightmare called climate change," she said.