Philippines

The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Monday assured that the administration is working to protect farmers and fishers from the impact of climate change. In a speech during the celebration of the National Farmers and Fishers Month, DA Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban vowed continued support of the administration to the agriculture sector. “This year, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered the single greatest annual investment…

The Philippines, through the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), will build resilient, inclusive and sustainable communities post-pandemic as it prepares its portfolio of environmental projects for consideration under the 8th funding replenishment of the Global Environment Facility (GEF-8). The Philippines is allocated over USD52 million in funding support, the country’s largest allocation so far. DENR Secretary Antonia Loyzaga, in her welcome remarks during…

Every country faces the impact of climate change, a global phenomenon that has caused distress for decades. Over the years, governments and organizations have learned approaches that mitigated the harmful effects of climate change, preparing the public to become more resilient. The Philippines, through the efforts of its local government and private organizations, has taken vital steps toward combatting the effects of climate change, equipping…

As a new international study urged people to start preparing for the possibility of a “climate endgame,” the Department of Education (DepEd) said it was eyeing a collaboration with experts to improve climate change education, particularly at the basic education level. “DepEd is one with the Climate Change Commission in strengthening climate literacy and supporting climate action in the basic education curriculum to hone learners and personnel…

For years, volunteers of a social agricultural enterprise have witnessed farmers spend months toiling the field only for extreme rain to wash away their crops in an instant, leaving them with nothing to harvest and, often, nothing to eat. Such is the cruel irony afflicting many smallholder farmers who bring food to Filipino tables yet “are the ones experiencing hunger,” said Mabi David, a member…

CLIMATE CHANGE is expected to reduce agricultural productivity and disrupt food availability if the government does not integrate mitigation measures in future policy, analysts said. “We have been experiencing extreme weather events due to climate change. Torrential rains and strong typhoons lead to floods which cause heavy damage to crops. These calamities are occurring more frequently and it is expected that they will get worse,”…

The Philippines, which lead developing countries vulnerable to climate change, is taking developed nations who have polluted the planet more to task in their climate finance commitments. “The Philippines intends to be on the forefront of the fight against climate change. While the Philippines only contributes three-tenths of 1 percent to total greenhouse gas emissions, we committed to reducing such emissions by 75 percent over…

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is promoting bamboo-planting as a climate change mitigation strategy. Bamboo not only thrives in the country and is among the government's priority reforestation species but this grass is also good in sequestering or absorbing carbon dioxide (CO2) which is among greenhouse gases (GHGs) driving climate change, noted DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu. "It's not just economics that makes…

At least a dozen business and advocacy groups have called on the Philippine government to regulate vehicles and expand clean energy use in response to a United Nations (UN) warning about the irreversible effects of climate change. The UN called the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, which warned that the planet could pass the critical global warming limit of 1.5°C within two decades,…

The importance of the private sector’s role in mitigating the adverse impact of climate change was once again highlighted during a recent virtual townhall discussion organized by Stratbase Albert del Rosario Institute (ADRi). “It is vital that multi-sector engagements and best practices be discussed and more widely adopted to proactively address climate risks before they even happen,” Stratbase ADRi President Prof. Victor Andres “Dindo” Manhit…

The Climate Change Commission (CCC) has emphasized the influential role of the media in raising the alarming issue of climate change in the country, laymanizing its complexities, and shaping opinions and engaging the public in taking urgent, and ambitious climate action. In the ‘Collab on Climate Change Fellowship’, organized by the Asian Center for Journalism at the Ateneo de Manila University and Internews’ Earth Journalism…

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) underscored the need for women's active participation on the policies and programs designed to address challenges emerging from climate change and current and future pandemics during the kickoff ceremony celebration of the National Women's Month. "Our women, especially those in low-income communities, are among the most affected by climate change and Covid-19 because they have limited resources…

Environmental experts have called on businesses to adopt more comprehensive risk-management plans and check environmental risks in their place of business to avoid disasters in the future. During the Sustainable Development Finance (SDF) webinar on Natural Disaster Resilience organized by the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), Renato Solidum Jr., Science undersecretary and officer in charge of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, tackled…