Senator praises colleagues for signing climate change pact

Sunday, July 17, 2011

SENATOR Loren Legarda lauded on Sunday 16 members of the House of Representatives who flew to Incheon, South Korea to pledge oversight on efforts to adapt to climate change.

Sixteen House lawmakers adopted the "Incheon Resolution of Philippine
Parliamentarians on Effective Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate
Change Adaptation in the Philippines" in Korea earlier this week. The resolution bound the legislators to "call on all sectors of society to participate actively and take necessary actions to reduce disaster risks and to adapt to climate change."

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Legarda, chair of the Senate committee on climate change, called the resolution opportune, saying there is a clamor for President Benigno Aquino III to declare adaptation to climate change a government priority.

“This document fortifies the commitment of a growing number of policymakers in the country to decisively confront the issues of worsening disasters and climate change impacts,” she said.

The House lawmakers have pledged to watch over the implementation of the Climate Change Act and the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act.

Under the Climate Change Act, the government policy is "to systematically integrate the concept of climate change in various phases of policy formulation, development plans, poverty reduction strategies, and other development tools."

The law also created an office, the Climate Change Commission, tasked with coming up with climate change adaptation policies. Among these policies are the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and man-made "interference" with air quality and the climate.

The law designates local government units as the "frontline" in adapting to climate change. They are expected to come up with local climate change adaptation strategies particular to their areas.

The Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act, meanwhile, tasks LGUs with coming out with disaster-risk reduction strategies like early warning systems and the strengthening of vital infrastructure. These include hospitals and schools, which are often used as evacuation centers when disasters strike.

“The administration should demonstrate leadership on this issue that affects food security, livelihood, public health and economic development goals, lest our strategies and action plans be washed away by swelling floods. I urge the executive department to integrate disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation in its development plans and investments," Legarda said.

The members of the House who signed the Incheon Resolution were Pasay
Representative Emi Calixto-Rubiano, Eastern Samar Representative Ben Evardone, Ako Bicol party-list Representative Alfredo Garbin Jr., and Leyte Representative Lucy Torres-Gomez.

Southern Leyte Representative Roger Mercado, Bohol Representative Rene Relampagos, Catanduanes Representative Cesar Sarmiento, Western Samar Representative Mel Sarmiento, and Compostela Valley Representative Ma. Carmen Zamora-Apsay were also signatories to the resolution.

Abra Representative Jocelyn Bernos, Laguna Representative Danilo Fernandez, Muntinlupa Representative Rodolfo Biazon, Leyte Representative Jose Carlos Cari, Alagad party-list Representative Rodante Marcoleta, Isabela Representative Ana Cristina Go, and North Cotabato Representative Jesus Sacdalan also pledged to uphold the resolution. (Jonathan de Santos/Sunnex)