Press Release
July 22, 2008

Loren wants climate change a priority in SONA

There is perhaps no single factor that affects the nation's economic activity than climate change, considering that a wide section of the population is scattered in hundreds of islands. For climate change easily cuts across all sectors with more lasting effects than most people realize.

"The disasters and calamities which have struck the nation in the last few months should serve as a wake-up call for this administration to pay close attention to climate change - which should be marked as priority concern when the President delivers her State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 28," Legarda said.

The country has always been caught unprepared each time natural calamity or calamities such as extreme heat and drought and frequent raining strike, with varying impacts that are oftentimes awesome to contemplate.

"These should be properly tackled. The Philippines can improve its ability to prevent lost of lives and destruction of properties in the face of disaster, and incorporate an analysis of the chronic economic impact of catastrophes into its growth equation and planning process," Legarda explained.

According to Legarda, strategies must be clearly defined as adaptation to climate change impacts will secure ill-effects on various sectors - food security, environment, water resources, economy, public health and human security - and ultimately the lives of the citizenry.

"Climate change must not be ignored in the country's growth projections and development plans. Mainstreaming disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation into the country's development policies, structures, programs and budget will be a significant key to sustainable development," Legarda added.

Toward this end, Legarda stressed the need for the Executive and the Legislative branch to forge a strong partnership to prioritize an urgent measure which seeks to address the challenges of climate change, Senate Bill No. 1890, which aims to create a Climate Change Commission to rationalize the existing government structure and to institutionalize a Framework Program on Climate Change and thereby enable the country to adapt to adverse climate change and to mitigate the impact of climate change risks.

"It is high time the government embarked on serious efforts to put adaptation measures for climate change risks in the country, especially in highly vulnerable local communities," said Senator Loren Legarda, who is geared up to sponsoring the measure when Senate sessions resume late this month.

The Senate Sub-Committee on Climate Change, meanwhile, has been in close consultations with the national government agencies, local government units, academe, research institutions, non-government organizations and civil society to strengthen the proposed measure.

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