penro message ings and em 2014 culmination

MESSAGE OF THE PENROILOCOS NORTE GREEN SUMMIT AND ENVIRONMENT MONTH CULMINATION PROGRAM

June 30, 2014 La Tabacalera Lifestyle Center Function Hall, Laoag City

To our guest of honour and speaker, Atty. Joel Garcia; the resource speakers of the summit who have delivered informative issues and concerns regarding our environment; the municipal planning and local environment officers from the LGUs, our friends from the academe, media, church and business sector, and our partners from the different government agencies and non- government organizations, isang makakalikasang pagbati po, sa inyong lahat!

First, let me congratulate the organizers and the different stakeholders for the success of the month- long celebration of environment month— thank you po sa inyong lahat sa inyong walang sawang pagsuporta.

The Philippines is considered as one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change. With impacts ranging from extreme weather events and periodic inundation to droughts and food scarcity, climate change has been a constant reality that many Filipinos have had to face.

Most affected are those living in coastal communities and the lower rung urban communities that lack awareness on proper disaster preparedness measures to take. As it is, climate change impacts have not only intensified from an imbalanced natural eco-system, but every onslaught has become unpredictable.

Last week, the World Bank launched a global report titled Turn Down the Heat: Climate Extremes, Regional Impacts and the Case for Resilience. The study says that climate change-related impacts are projected to increase in the coming decades, threatening in particular:

• Coastal populations: Climate change is expected to lead to more intense typhoons, higher sea levels, and storm surges. Storm surges are projected to affect about 14 percent of the total population and 42 percent of coastal populations. Informal settlements, which account for 45 percent of the Philippines’ urban population, are particularly vulnerable to floods due to less secure infrastructure, reduced access to clean water, and lack of health insurance.

• Farming and fishing: Climate-related impacts are expected to reduce agricultural productivity in the Philippines. Also, warming oceans and ocean acidification affect coral



reefs which serve as feeding and spawning grounds for many fish species that support the livelihoods of fisher folks.

In the Philippines, the report entitled Getting a Grip on Climate Change in the Philippines looks at the innovations as well as gaps in policy and financing of climate change programs since the country adopted the Climate Change Act four years ago.

The report – done at the request of, and in close collaboration with the Climate Change Commission (CCC) and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) – provides detailed analysis and recommendations on how the country could accelerate reforms for managing the growing climate change impacts and increasing greenhouse gas emissions while contributing to poverty reduction.

The report provides recommendations along three themes:

• Strengthening the planning, execution, and financing framework for climate change;

• Enhancing leadership and accountability through monitoring, evaluation, and review of climate change policies and activities; and

• Building the country’s capacity and managing change

The report also underscores that while the government builds resilience to climate change impacts, it should also ensure that the country’s emissions of greenhouse gases (e.g. methane and carbon dioxide) remain in check.

Though a minor contributor to climate change globally, the Philippines’ greenhouse gas emissions rank in the top 25 percent among low- and middle-income countries, with significant increases projected in the coming decades. Emissions from the energy sector are projected to quadruple by 2030, with the transport sector expected to double its emissions.

In view of the reports, facts, and figures that we have just heard—here lies a big question that needs a straightforward answer: WHAT CAN WE DO? Particularly in the local setting?



The answer is— Resilience! Now is the time to shout out and raise our voices for resilience and not the sea level as our theme goes.

The tasks before national and local leaders are straightforward. We have to make Ilocos Norte and our grassroots communities safer, more resilient, and even more ready to act when disaster strikes.

Committing to make our cities and municipalities disaster- resilient means increasing our investments in disaster risk reduction, conducting and sharing risks assessments, establishing effective and efficient early warning systems, protecting our ecosystems, more IEC driven activities such as the Green Summit that we have just conducted today, among other actions.

We must link disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation to national and local development planning; we must build homes, schools and hospitals that are safe and secure amidst natural hazards; we must design and construct roads, bridges, and other infrastructure that help spur economic growth with disaster risk reduction in mind; we must recover and rebuild from any disaster impacts with building-back-better-and-greener as objective.

Disaster risk reduction essentially means genuine development—development that is sustainable and economic growth that is resilient.

As local government leaders, planners, and environmental advocates, we have the moral responsibility, not just our national or provincial government, or the DENR, and other agencies, to usher in and achieve genuine development for our communities.

Closest to the people, local government leaders have the privilege to translate and execute national policies, plans and programs into concrete and visible actions for the people. Much is expected from you by the people.

The people expect good governance. But let me assure you that governing with effective disaster risk reduction is certainly a mark of good local governance.

I am sure that we, Ilocanos expect a better life, a brighter future. Let me further assure you that there is no better way to realize that aspiration than planning rightly and



pursuing development that promotes equitable and sustainable growth and good care of the environment.

Delivering well in these two expectations are legacies that you could certainly be proud of and for which the people will surely appreciate and long remember your service to them.

Again, congratulations to all of us for another fruitful celebration of environment month. May we all keep on raising our voices for resiliency and continue to be vigilant in safeguarding our environment. Thank you and good afternoon to all!

penro message ings and em 2014 culmination

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