Philippines

Legarda, who will join over 40 religious, political and environmental leaders from around the world at the Summit of the Consciences for the Climate on July 21 in Paris, France, said every citizen of the world should take action against climate change. “Until we have taken it upon ourselves that the key to climate change adaptation and mitigation lies in each and every individual’s…

The four cities became the pilot areas of the WWF-BPI Foundations study based mainly from the occurrence of storms, floods, drought and other extreme climate events during the past decade. To seize the trends drawn from existing climate studies and city-specific socio-economic information, the study worked with scenario building exercises and linked their predictions for each city to an action-oriented proposal for present-day decisions. The…

Local governments may send project proposals to access the fund as early as August, said Red Constantino, PSF board member representing civil society, during a Senate environment committee hearing on Wednesday, July 8. “Paris is going to be really important for the whole world so we don’t want to go to Paris without having issued a call for proposals. I’m hoping in August we…

The rice varieties are climate-resilient, higher yielding, resistant to major pests and diseases, and resistant to hostile environments. The collaborative project, titled “Accelerating the development and adoption of next-generation rice varieties for major ecosystems in the Philippines,” is an initiative under the Food Staples Sufficiency Program (FSSP) of the Department of Agriculture (DA), PhilRice and IRRI in partnership with the University of the Philippines-Los…

“The investment in farm machineries and postharvest facilities is also a climate-change adaptability initiative. It also raised our corn’s quality and helped it become more price-competitive,” de Luna said in a statement. He added that if harvesting is done manually during typhoons, the chances of crops being damaged are higher. “If you will use a combined harvester, you can harvest a hectare in no…

The collaborative project entitled, ‘Accelerating the development and adoption of next-generation (NextGen) rice varieties for major ecosystems in the Philippines’ aims to fast-track the introduction and adoption of higher yielding inbred and hybrid rice varieties that are resistant to major pests and diseases, and can withstand adverse environments. To help the country achieve food security, the project targets to produce higher yields by…

Rep. Francisco T. Matugas (1st District, Surigao Del Norte), chairman of the House Committee on Natural Resources, said House Bill 5845 authored by Rep. Linabelle Ruth R. Villarica (4th District, Bulacan) shortens the process of reverting the unutilized fishponds to forestlands, which could spur socioeconomic development in the countryside. Villarica said the bill amends Section 43 of Presidential Decree 705, otherwise known as the…

Combined with rising inequality, the two forces could make the more equal distribution of the fruits of economic growth a "distant goal" for the world's most populous region, where 700 million people — two thirds of the world's poor — still wallow in poverty. "In one country after another, climate change frequently threatens to offset decades of gains in poverty reduction," the report said…

On Tuesday, June 9, the Senate committee on climate change discussed the Philippines’ Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs), a list of “post-2020 climate actions” that will help countries achieve the international goal of keeping global warming below 2°C. The goal was agreed upon in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) of 1992. Before the Conference of the Parties (COP21) in Paris in…

In Vanuatu, a Climate Change and Human Rights workshop was held onboard the Greenpeace ship, Rainbow Warrior, where Vanuatu President Baldwin Londsdale welcomed close to 40 delegates and civil society groups from Pacific Island nations. They were joined by representatives from the Philippines including former national climate negotiator Naderev “Yeb” Saño and Dolores, Samar Mayor Emiliana Villacarillo, who showed their solidarity with…

Likewise, it was also reported that the Philippines was the worst affected country in 2013 — the very year Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) struck the country. Extreme weather brought about 6.65 deaths per 100,000 inhabits and about 3.82% in losses per unit GDP. Later this year, the United Nations will conduct the Climate Change Conference in Paris, France, aiming to achieve an international agreement among…

The financial requirement would be heavy on poor nations with coastal communities vulnerable to the expected rise in sea level anywhere from 52 centimeters to 98 centimeters by 2100. This rise in sea level would threaten billions of people, she added, “and increasing temperatures and shifting weather patterns threaten major economic sectors, such as agriculture, tourism and energy supply.” Problems associated with the dire…

It was given a day before the global celebration of Earth Day, delivered to an audience of government officials, civil society groups, and students in Quezon City. Paje emphasized the growing impact of climate change to the Philippine environment and communities, citing the example of recent strong typhoons. "Climate change is now a part of our lives. It is real, it is happening, and…

In a blog post, Saño wrote, “Today, I wish to announce that I am stepping down as a Commissioner of the Philippines’ Climate Change Commission. I will be working with different faith groups across the world, as part of the larger global climate movement.” Saño expressed gratitude to the Philippine government and the Filipino people for the opportunity and honor of serving his country…

The following link will take you to INQUIRER.net: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/685055/16-ph-cities-not-ready-for-climate-change-challenge-says-study Source: Inquirer.net | 13 April 2015

The findings said the warming of the climate system is unequivocal, and since the 1950s, many of the observed changes are unprecedented in decades to millennia; the concentrations of greenhouse gases have increased; each of the last three decades has been successively warmer at the Earth's surface than any preceding decade since 1850; and 1983–2012 was likely the warmest 30-year period of the last…

The following link will take you to INQUIRER.net: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/682213/paje-ph-ready-to-cut-carbon-emissions-too Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer | 30 March 2015  

The Asian archipelago, whipped by about 20 typhoons and storms each year, is now in the grips of the "El Niño" phenomenon that can make storms "stronger" and more "erratic", weather service Chief Vicente Malano said. "El Niño may cause the behavior of tropical cyclones to become erratic, affecting (their) tracks and intensity," he said in an advisory, adding that the same number of…

The action is a Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action (NAMA) option that intertwines policy, economic incentives, and education to ensure lasting and transformative change. This NAMA is the result of collaboration between the Philippine government and The United Nations Development Program (UNDP), and is an exceptional model of scalable, replicable action to address climate change in the context of sustainable development. The need for…