Davao biz men: Responding to Climate Change issues

BUSINESSMEN in Davao City were gathered again during the 2nd General Membership Meeting at the Grand Men Seng Hotel Davao. It was different from the previous GMMs as they were put together not to show off their acumen in business but rather to take this a chance to respond to climate change issues today.

No less than Jose Maria Lorenzo P. Tan, vice chairman and chief-executive-officer (CEO) of Word Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in the Philippines, who came down to Davao City to grace the event last February 22. It was themed then as "Mitigating Business Risk on Climate Change."

Tan heads the WWF Philippines Management Team in the National Convergence Initiative, comprised of three government national agencies such as Department of Agriculture, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and Department of Agrarian Reform.

The businessmen from varied sectors - agriculture, health, and information communications technology (ICT) - had their eyes glued to the presentation of Tan as he talked a crash course on climate change, which is the culprit of the dreadful typhoons and unpredictable heavy downpour to Mindanao cities and provinces.

"Davao City used to be the least vulnerable to calamities, but it's about time to reassess this," he said.

His presentation made some of the delegates shook their heads in dismay after learning that some cities in the country are now in a sorry state.

For instance, water, in some areas of Cebu, tastes more like a sea water, all because the sea water has already intruded to the water reserves underneath the ground.

He said what worsens the present weather condition is how people develop the cities. He urged the private sector to be proactive in finding solutions to the problems. Building strong partnership with the government and the public sector as well will go a long way.

The recent typhoons that hit Mindanao could be the eye-opener that now is time that each of us must do our part as stewards of nature -- stewards who are mindful of the environment.

Now is as good a time as any to begin caring for the nature, not putting it in further harm.