Press Release
June 16, 2010

Pia: Teach Climate Change Adaptation in Schools

Senator Pia S. Cayetano today called on the government's top agencies in charge of education to comply with the two-year old law requiring environmental education in all levels of learning.

"All schools whether public or private, formal or vocational, are required under RA 9512, the National Environmental Awareness and Education Act of 2008, to integrate environmental education in the curricula in all levels.

Cayetano, is a principal sponsor of RA 9512.

This law mandates DepEd, CHed and TESDA to coordinate with other government agencies and NGOs to come up with learning programs that would instill in our youth awareness of pressing environmental issues and their responsibility as citizens in protecting our different ecosystems and building capacities specific to their locality to adapt to climate change and mitigate the risk of disasters.

A good start would be to require all students to practice solid waste management in their schools, and later pass the knowledge on in their homes and communities. Students in upland and fishing areas should be specifically taught more about sustainable forest management and fishing, respectively.

Arming our youth now with knowledge and tools to confront and address climate change should prove to be our government's best investment in protecting our natural resources for future generations."

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