Bringing climate issues to the fore

Aside from concerns about bringing relief and quickly rehabilitating devastated provinces bulldozed by Super Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda), the issue of global climate change needs to be urgently resolved.

Of late, as humans have started pointing fingers at each other, blaming environment abuse and neglect for the adverse weather changes, the billion-dollar question of culpability has continued to weigh heavily during international meetings.

Thus, we witnessed Philippine Climate Change commissioner Naderev “Yeb” Saño staging a mini-hunger strike recently in Warsaw, Poland during the 19th United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change three days after Super Typhoon Haiyan bulldozed the Philippine central islands.

Choosing to describe the Philippine tragedy as a climate crisis madness, his address during the opening session of the 12-day conference was quickly given support by other developing countries and island states most vulnerable to the recent harsh change in weather.

Understandable since this debate of two decades has resulted in nothing substantial – the most recent tragedy being the lapse of the Kyoto accord last year. It gets clearer by the day that the most imperiled are the poor nations of the world, the Philippines included.

High cost of climate disasters

With the world getting more ferocious storms, cyclones, tsunamis, earthquakes and torrential rains creating floods, the cost to lives and property keeps mounting. It is countries like ours that are more crippled by what is happening.

Every climate-related catastrophe has a more severe effect on economies of developing countries compared to those of industrialized nations. Because of limited funds, the task of rebuilding becomes more cumbersome.

The irony, which countries like the Philippines very well recognize, is that the cause of the environmental degradation that has led to this adverse climate change is more to be blamed on industrialization and industrialized countries. Even if these rich nations experience the harshness of the new climactic changes, they can easily shoulder the cost to their economies.

Who’s to blame?

But the clamor of nations like the Philippines, India, Bangladesh, Africa, and other similar island states for compensation for the damage brought about by these weather calamities is a tricky issue – perhaps even trickier than arriving at an agreement to bring down harmful emissions to the environment.

While the US and Europe have in the past been the source of pollutants that have led to global warming and climate change, developing economies like China and India have also been equally guilty of late.

The growing consensus is that poor nations will probably perish first because of the rising ocean levels or behemoth storm surges before any resolution can be reached for damage payment. By default, the death of a nation ends any discussion.

Perhaps the more affluent nations will start to seriously discuss a more viable rescue plan for the world when they realize that the cost of climate disasters is becoming a threat already to their very existence. Let’s hope that by then, it is not too late to do something.

‘Hoodlums’ at the barangay level

With the barangay elections over, we will feature Josefelix Villanueva’s letter that warns against corruption at the lowest level of governance. Here goes.

“You’re right. We have many hoodlums masquerading as Robin Hood even at the barangay level. Barangay officials use their projects and accomplishments to cover up corruption and negligence. Misappropriation and re-alignment of funds is very rampant at the grassroots level.

“Procedural lapses are a common practice. They don’t follow IRRs (Implementing Rules and Regulations), guidelines, Standard Operational Procedures and rules. Barangays fail miserably in compliance (and enforcement) of our laws.

“If remained unchecked, the misuse of barangay funds would be the next PDAF (Priority Development Assistance Fund) scandal. Many barangay captains have strong connections with local COA examiners. It’s the reason why barangay papers (disbursements) are not audited diligently.

“The COA (Commission on Audit) looks only at the covering letter and not the details. There is no comparison (or balance sheet) between the disbursement list and the issued barangay resolutions authorizing the disbursement, annual budget, financial statement and receipts.

“Even compliance to the objectives and regulations of RA 9184 (Procurement Reform Act) (both by the barangay and their suppliers) remained unchecked. Fixed bidding, ghost projects, over-pricing and re-alignment/misappropriation of funds are rampant.

“There is a breakdown of good governance and discipline at the barangay level. Sections 60, 389 and 391 of RA 7160 (Local Government Code) is not imposed by the DILG (Department of Interior and Local Government) for obvious political reasons. We need to correct this.”

PCCL 2013 National Collegiate Championship

CESAFI-Cebu teams led by newly crowned champion, University of Visayas Green Lancers, are expected to dominate the Champions League (PCCL) Southern Islands bracket of the 2013 National Collegiate Championship.

The Sweet 16 knock-out games are ongoing at the Cebu City Coliseum. All games are televised over ABS-CBN Studio 23, 2 to 6 every afternoon.

Completing the cast of the Cebu games are Southwestern U Cobras, CESAFI runner-up; University of San Carlos Warriors, CESAFI third placer; and regional champions Iloilo Doctors College for Visayas islands, STI College for Northern Mindanao, and Holy Trinity College from Southern Mindanao.

The last team standing after the series of knock-out games will be declared the 2013 Overall Southern Islands champion and will advance to the Final Four and join UAAP champion DLSU Green Archers, and newly crowned NCAA champion San Beda College Red Lions in the Champions League 2013 National Collegiate Championship.

Visit the PCCL website (collegiatechampionsleague.net) for more details/information on the National Collegiate Championship and like our official Facebook fan page (Philippine College Champions League) and Follow us on Twitter (@pccleague2013).

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Should you wish to share any insights, write me at Link Edge, 25^th Floor, 139 Corporate Center, Valero Street, Salcedo Village, 1227 Makati City. Or e-mail me at [email protected]. For a compilation of previous articles, visit www.BizlinksPhilippines.net.