Philippines: City creates team to counter climate change

PIA press release by Paul Rillorta

Baguio City - The city government is now bolstering Republic Act No. 7297 or the Climate Change Act of 2009 to mitigate the effects of climate change in the country.

City Mayor Mauricio Domogan signed the creation of a Task Force on Climate Change Adaptation embodied in Administrative order 47.

Domogan said, “the city has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability Southeast Asia, Inc. for the implementation of the “Asian Cities Adapt” project which would benefit the general public and address the serious negative impact of climate change.

The Asian Cities Adapt project’s main goal is to increase awareness, knowledge, and capacity of local governments in India and the Philippines and a collaborative effort to reduce the risk of climate change impacts faced by cities through an integrated and cyclic management approach increasing their local economic and social resilience.

The project is partly, to better manage the impacts of climate change; to strengthen awareness and the knowledge about potential risks at the local level; and to promote the exchange of knowledge between cities.

The Climate Change Task Force is comprised of the city mayor as chairman with members, Sangunian Panglungsod committee chair on environment and protection, City Planning and Development coordinator, City Environment and parks management officer, city engineer, city health officer, city social Welfare and development officer, City General Services officer, city budget officer, city public information officer, president of the Association of Barangay Councils, president of the Sanguniang Kabataan Federation, and two representatives from the private and civil society sector.

Among the functions of the task force is to coordinate the implementation of the Asian Cities Adapt project in the city, ensure that the responsibilities of the city government as stated in the MOU are carried out, monitor project implementation, spearhead in the development of the city’s climate change adaptation plan and its implementation, coordinate with stakeholders in the development and implementation of the adaptation plan, recommend legislation, policies, programs, and appropriations for climate change adaptation, and oversee the dissemination of appropriate information on climate change.

Fully understanding climate change and providing options to reduce its impact is a priority of the newly formed task force, which includes strict monitoring, and intensified enforcement of air pollution laws.

The city has also played active participation during “Earth Hour” joining over 128 countries worldwide and continues to protect its remaining forest reserves to mitigate the effects of climate change. *(PIO Baguio City/PR-PIA CAR)