Press Release
April 29, 2011

Enrile gets World Bank support for People's Survival Fund

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile today welcomed the World Bank's support for the early establishment of the People's Survival Fund, a financing measure authored by the veteran legislator for local governments and communities deemed vulnerable to climate change.

The commitment was made to Enrile in a meeting held at the Senate President's office attended by visiting World Bank Climate Change Envoy Andrew Steer and World Bank country director for the Philippines Bert Hofman.

"I am glad the World Bank conveyed its full support for the People's Survival Fund. We need to mobilize resources that we already have even as we strengthen our alliance with institutions that are keen to support our country's blueprint for climate change resilience," Enrile said.

"I told the World Bank that I consider climate change as a matter of international tort. We are today placed in a unique state of vulnerability due to a problem that is not of our making," Enrile explained

The Senate President pointed out that "blindly pushing loans during this crisis is unacceptable and what we need instead is a relationship based on real partnership rather than the usual and, in this case, inappropriate, donor-donee context."

Enrile and the World Bank officials agreed that the provision of modalities that provide direct funding access to localities is vital but must also be premised on the utilization of robust fiduciary standards.

Enrile urged World Bank officials to ensure that its operations in the Philippines are fully harmonized with the National Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAP), which is expected to be approved soon by the Climate Change Commission Chairperson, President Aquino.

Also present during the meeting between Enrile and the World Bank officials were the Philippine Climate Change Commission represented by Secretary Mary Ann Lucille Sering and Climate Commissioner Naderev Saño, as well as Presidential Assistant on Climate Change Elisea Gozun.

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