ADB urges RP to invest in mass transport to fight greenhouse gas

MANILA, Philippines – An energy expert from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has urged the Philippine government to invest more on mass transport systems to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the country.

Woochong Um, director of the ADB’s Energy, Transport and Water Division, also advised the government to come up with “alternative mode of traveling” other than resorting to road extensions and widening projects to address the age-old problem of heavy traffic in Metro Manila.

“If you keep widening the road it will encourage more people to travel in their own vehicles… road expansion means more greenhouse gas emission,” Um told The STAR at the sidelines of a media workshop on climate change at the Traders Hotel in Pasay City.

“Road expansion is just a temporary solution to traffic. So it doesn’t help at the end of the day,” he said.

Sen. Loren Legarda, an environmental advocate, earlier said there is a pressing need to improve the country’s mass transport systems over land, water and air amidst the increasing cost of oil and other petroleum products in the world market.

Legarda has filed Resolution No. 497 directing the Senate committee on public services to review the existing transport policies.

Legarda noted that many motorists have stopped or have minimized using their private vehicles in the face of the high cost of petroleum products, and instead take the LRT (Light Rail Transit) and MRT (Metro Rail Transit).

Um said the ADB has been helping developing member countries, such as the Philippines, undertake projects that address climate change, adding that the issue was included in the ADB’s long-term strategic framework.

Um said the ADB is involved in the country’s promotion of renewable energy; sustainable transport system, such as the MRT and LRT; waste management; and sustainable land use, among others.

“We help make economies more resilient to adverse climate change impacts,” he said.

Meanwhile, scientists and journalists from Southeast Asia on Wednesday agreed to work together to enhance public awareness on climate change.

Among the obstacles brought up by the media practitioners in reporting climate change were the limited accurate information and contradicting views on climate change; limited number and availability of climate change experts; low readers’ interest on climate change; difficulty in selling climate change stories in the newsroom; and political pressure.

The two-day workshop, which concluded Wednesday, convened climate change experts and 26 journalists from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and China.

With the theme “Reporting Climate Change: Creating a Climate of Change in Southeast Asia,” the activity was aimed at improving media coverage of climate change issues.

The event was organized by the Philippine Science Journalists Association Inc., in collaboration with the International Development Research Center Regional Office for Southeast and East Asia, which is based in Canada, and the Economy and Environment Program for Southeast Asia, based in Singapore.

Founded in 2001, PSciJourn is a non-stock, non-profit association of media practitioners, science and technology communicators and advocates committed to create a science consciousness and culture among Filipinos.