Philippines: Albay to host LGU+3i climate change national conference

Press Release

Legazpi City -- Local chief executives, planning managers, scientists and academe sector, civic society and community leaders, legislators and development partners from across the country are set to meet in Albay on November 4-6, 2010, for the LGU Summit+3i in pursuit of mainstreaming the climate change adaptation program in the Philippines.

Albay Gov. Joey Salceda told PIA News Service that the summit intends to provide a venue for critical actors to agree that adaptation is a critical developmental concern that needs to be addressed to pursue and meet the country's commitment towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 2015.

Salceda added that local government units, as front liners in meeting the commitment towards achieving MDGs, must recognize that "development as usual" approach without considering climate variability and extremes, may pose as threat in meeting these development goals.

"LGUs across the country must have a concerted effort to fast track achievement of MDGs, especially at the local level, to meet the 2015 target and share experiences in tracking their MDGs' progress," he said.

The governor, acclaimed "Senior Global Champion of Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction" by the United Nations (UN), also stressed that the powerful role of LGUs to trail blaze an aggressive and proactive climate and disaster resilient development plans/programs is enshrined in the Local Government Code of 1991.

The summit, according to Salceda, is designed to demonstrate and translate effective and efficient implementation of science-based analyses for climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction measures and build consensus towards a way forward for climate change adaptation action.

The Philippines continues to intensify its efforts to keep track with its commitments in the various Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

For target year 2015, commitments in reducing poverty, increasing food security, improving health and ensuring environmental sustainability are progressing on a slow pace. According to the recent 2010 MDG Progress Report, some challenges include inadequate investment, ineffective government policies, and lack of commitment.

The same report also identified impacts that apart from the global financial crisis and price shocks, climate change (both climate variability and extreme) was identified as an eminent threat to achieving our poverty, education, health, gender equality and environmental sustainability commitments. Moreover, attainment of MDGs will be more difficult for a developing country, especially for a climate hotspot country, like the Philippines.

Development as usual may not be enough to address these emerging threats. Non action may bring about short term (loss of lives, property and environmental integrity) and long term (reversal of development gains) impacts. Thus, increasing the Philippines' capacity to implement adaptation measures is vital for meeting its 2015 MDG target.

In an interview at PIA's Ugnayan sa Bikol radio program recently, Executive Director Manuel Rangasa of the Center for Initiatives and Research on Climate Adaptation (CIRCA), also the conference director of the LGU Summit 3+i, said that the interfacing will also showcase Albay's best working practices on disaster risk reduction citing "pre-emptive evacuation" of communities-at-risk resulting to "zero casualty" in times of disasters and emergencies as adopted models in the country and recognized by the UN.

Rangasa also emphasized that this year's title of summit carries along the "+3i" to signify that climate change adaption program must radiate in all three main islands of the country, Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

In the end, according to Rangasa, local governments will be able to determine priority adaptation measures that would protect and facilitate MDG achievement by target year 2015.

"We also expect utmost support among local chief executives on the National Strategic Framework, signifying their commitment to assess their respective localities' vulnerability to climate change, identify possible adaptation measures and summarize in a vulnerability assessment matrix (VAM) by January 2011 as input to the drafting of the national and local CCAP," he said.

The Climate Change Commission (CCC), under the headship of Sec. Heherson Alvarez, cited that the country's strategic framework on climate change takes serious cognizance of the high vulnerability of the Philippine archipelago to climate-related hazards.

The commission noted that over 90 million people, now face threats from more intense tropical cyclones, drastic changes in rainfall patterns, sea level rise, and increasing temperatures.

"Indeed it is unequivocal that climate change will have serious implications on the country's efforts to address poverty and realize sustainable development for current and future generations-ultimately making climate change an issue of intergenerational equity," it also stated.

CCC stressed that implementation of direct adaptation measures to address climate variability and extreme is highly local, wherein the critical role of local governments in shaping and implementing successful adaptation measures that would ensure continuity of development and provide safety nets for highly vulnerable groups that are very dependent on natural resources.

(PIA V)