ON NOVEMBER 23, 2018, I was tasked to speak for the municipal mayor of La Trinidad at SMX Aura to share best practices on Integration of Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation (CCAM) to Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM), along with Mayor Sally Ante Lee of Sorsogon City and Mayor Mary Jean Feliciano of Brooke's Point, Palawan, during the 2nd National Convention on Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction.
I learned right there and then that we all have the same problems in Implementing Programs Projects and Activities (PPAs) for our Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation-the funds.
While we have the Climate Change Action Plan, there is no specific source of funds for it, causing unimplemented projects in other municipalities. So I went to share How La Trinidad do it: incorporating PPAs of the Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation to the Development Plans and even using funds of the MDRRMC for climate change projects. And the rest is history.
But of course, actually, it's not about what the Government can do about it. It always starts with what you can do as an individual to help Adapt and mitigate effects of Climate Change. How? Do you conserve electricity, water, fuel, and gas? Do you segregate waste and compost biodegradables? Do you minimize gas emissions by not using motor vehicles? Do you promote the natural ways of living? If yes, thank you. You are helping big time in minimizing the effect of climate change.
These little acts will contribute Big time to the effects of Climate Change in the future, along with the programs of the Government. However, when we do not do anything now, the future will definitely suffer before Climate Change Cannot be stopped.
Accordingly, climate will definitely change in time. Did you know that our world is now about one degree Celsius hotter than it was in the period between 1850 and 1900? It’s called global warming and it is associated with climate change. That increase has caused a lot of effects as observed in our community.
Firstly, habitats of creatures living in the sea is being dilapidated, in the same manner as those living in warm place are seeking for cooler atmosphere. Plantations that grows only in cool places like in Benguet will no longer produce those required food and would cause food crisis when not taken care of.
But the scariest effects of climate change is the extreme increase or decrease of natural hazards in the community. Typhoons now are branded with signal number five with strength of more than 200 kilometers per hour which our grandparents have experienced only now.
Longer hailstorms are happening in Atok, Benguet that the Ice is Left on Ground like a snow. Lowland temperature requires thicker clothing in November to February every year. And unimaginable massive landslide like that in Itogon and Paracelis.
But again, we can do something. Live naturally so that we minimize the emissions of Bad Air in the atmosphere. Conserve everything, so we do not need to make new things and consume our natural resources.