Climate Change Act of 2009

The passage of the Climate Change Act, could not have come at a more ideal time.

I am happy to see the support of local government officials on this critical piece of legislation. The serious implementation of this law will strengthen our country’s efforts in addressing the greatest challenge of our time – climate change.

When I filed this measure two years ago, I took inspiration from the Albay Declaration, which was the result of the First National Conference on Climate Change Adaptation, calling for “the passage of a policy prioritizing climate change adaptation in the national agenda.”

The ensuing discussions on the threats of climate change to our basic human rights—food, potable water, shelter, decent livelihood and life itself, have occupied us for some time now. In response to these impacts, vulnerable countries like the Philippines should ramp up efforts to enhance the resilience of our people.

I think special attention should be given to the poorest of the poor, who are also the most vulnerable to the scourge of disasters. They are the small farmers, fisherfolk, upland dwellers, urban squatters living on riverbanks, forestlands, seashores, and low-lying areas. Without planning and assistance, more will lose their homes and properties that sustain their livelihood. A single extreme weather event can derail the achievement of our Millennium Development Goals' target.

While climate change has recently been at the forefront of international and local discourse, it is perhaps only now that we have seen its devastating impacts.

Unfortunately it took these two calamities for us to realize the urgent need to confront the drivers of our vulnerability to disasters and climate change—poor urban governance, vulnerable rural livelihoods and ecosystems decline— in order to save lives and secure livelihoods.

Climate Change Act will build resilience to the impacts of climate change. The Commission on Climate Change shall be the sole policy-making body of the government tasked to coordinate, monitor and evaluate the programs and action plans of the government relating to climate change.

This places local governments at the frontline of the formulation, planning and implementation of climate change action plans which includes risk reduction, in their respective areas speeding up the capacity building for local adaptation planning, implementation and monitoring of climate change initiatives in vulnerable communities.

Further, the new legislation places disaster risk reduction as the first line of defense against climate change risks. Recognizing that climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction are closely linked and effective disaster risk reduction enhances climate change adaptive capacity, the measure will ensure the integration of disaster risk reduction into policies, programs and initiatives on climate change.

The Climate Change Act, the first in Asia, sums up the country's great resolve to take the issue of climate change very seriously. It goes to show that we value above everything else the welfare of our people through the protection of the world where we all live.

This law is for us, our children and the generations after them. Ensuring its full implementation is the great challenge and responsibility posed to us all.