Climate change action plan nears completion

MANILA -- The Philippines will soon unveil its climate change action plan that would set out recommendations on how to tackle the threat of changing environment on economic and social viability, a government official said Friday.

Heherson Alvarez, secretary of the Climate Change Commission (CCC), said the CCC will serve as blueprint of all climate change adaptation and mitigation activities in the country.

“We have crafted the policies and strategies, we must now translate these into action through the help of our local governments so that when climate disasters strike, our vulnerable communities will be able to adapt,” he said.

Alvarez made the statement as the nation observes this year’s “Global Warming and Climate Change Consciousness Week” from November 19-25, which would be highlighted by an inter-faith dialogue on poverty and survival issues on climate change in Malacañang next week.

President Benigno Aquino III earlier made climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction as one of his priority programs, alongside an aggressive awareness campaign.

Environmental protection is even listed as one of the five themes in the Medium Term Philippine Development Plan (MTPDP) 2010-2016 set to be presented to Aquino in January 2011. (Virgil Lopez/Sunnex)