Marcos urges action as Philippines hosts climate fund meet

MANILA, Philippines — President Marcos has expressed hope that the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD) would find ways to ensure that Filipinos would not suffer from the impact of climate change.

During a courtesy call of members of the FRLD board at Malacañang last Monday, Marcos noted that addressing the effects of climate change is an enormous task that requires everyone’s participation.

He cited the crucial role of the FRLD to disaster-prone Philippines and expressed optimism that it would significantly assist the country in addressing the adverse effects of the phenomenon.

“We’re working very hard for the board to be based here in Manila because (of) its supreme importance for the Philippines, because of all of the risks that we are bracing (for) because of climate change,” Marcos said.

He urged the FRLD board to find solutions to mitigate the effects of climate change in the country so Filipinos wouldn’t suffer its grave consequences.

“The momentum since the Industrial Revolution is something that can’t be easily moved or stopped or at least redirected. In the meantime, I hope all of you can find solutions so that most of our people do not suffer. That’s how urgent we consider the board’s work and how it is important to us that you work here in Manila,” Marcos said.

He discussed the disasters that hit the Philippines in the past weeks, saying such number of calamities did not happen since the mid-1940s and the government is doing all it could to help address the situation.

The Philippine government raised its climate change expenditures by 149.66 percent from P178.2 billion in 2021 to P444.9 billion in 2022, according to the Presidential Communications Office.

PCO further reported that a total of P457.4 billion has been allocated for climate change-related measures this year. The government has also mobilized P34.13 billion to support 54 forestry, land management, biodiversity, environment protection and climate change projects and commitments.

The FRLD will act as the main decision-making body that governs and supervises the loss and damage fund. It consists of 26 members from the COP and Meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement, with 12 members from developed country-parties and 14 members from developing country-parties.

The board will wrap up the meeting tomorrow, Dec. 5.

Richard Sherman and Jean-Christophe Donnellier co-chair the FRLD board, while Ibrahima Cheikh Diong serves as its executive director.

The loss and damage fund was designed to assist vulnerable countries in coping with the adverse effects of climate change.

Board meeting

The fourth board meeting of the FRLD started yesterday at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City as Environment Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga said the Philippines is a test case for the powerful impact of the board following the unprecedented series of six successive typhoons in the country.

“I had the honor at COP29 (29th United Nations Climate Change Conference) to convey a message from our President, given the historically unprecedented series of six successive extreme weather events between October and November this year. The Philippines is, in fact, a ‘living laboratory’ for current and future risks and a test case for the powerful impact of this board,” Loyzaga said in her opening message.

She added that the cumulative loss and the devastation of the six tropical cyclones in the country can serve as a baseline, not only of what climate-vulnerable developing countries will endure in the uncertain and unpredictable times, but also of the country’s capacity to recover, given adequate and timely access to the right resources.

“The decades-long journey to establishing the fund was long-fought and firmly grounded in the quest for resilience by those most vulnerable. It is a moment of pride for the Philippines to host this fourth meeting of the board and the first in our country since our selection as the host country of the board,” she said.

The meeting of the board is particularly significant as it comes at an important stage in the fund’s establishment and operationalization, according to Loyzaga.

She noted that on Aug. 28, President Marcos signed Republic Act 12019, granting juridical personality and legal capacity to the FRLD board in the Philippines.

The Philippines and the co-chairs of the board on Nov. 12 signed the Host Country Agreement (HCA) during the second day of COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan for responding to loss and damage.

The HCA outlines the immunities and privileges that will be accorded in the territory of the Republic of the Philippines to enable the board of the fund to effectively fulfill its purpose and carry out its functions.

“With these significant steps, we are now set to finalize the remaining legal frameworks that will enable the board of the fund to function effectively in our country. These developments reflect the progress we have collectively made in ensuring that the fund is prepared to deliver on its urgent mandate,” Loyzaga said.

“As one of the most climate-vulnerable nations, we are acutely aware of the urgency in translating frameworks and commitments into tangible actions. Our goal is to support the board in advancing decisions that ensure the fund is accessible, equitable and impactful,” she added.

The environment chief further stated that by hosting the board of the fund, the Philippines invested in its dynamic and far-reaching mission of cooperation and solidarity in making resources accessible to those who need them most.

The COP29 revealed the persistent challenges to achieving urgent and truly impactful global climate action, with Loyzaga committing to multilateralism as it is “the only viable platform for collective action against transcendental global challenges such as climate change.”

She added that living with risk and loss and damage has been a part of our history as an archipelago.

“We therefore have a deep and personal stake in ensuring that the fund for responding to loss and damage succeeds,” Loyzaga explained.

“We are deeply committed, first and foremost, not only to the survival of our communities but for all to thrive through investments in risk-responsive social services and climate-resilient critical infrastructure,” she assured the participants of the meeting.

Discussions during the board meeting will focus on operationalizing the fund through a bottom-up country-led approach that promotes and strengthens national responses to loss and damages.