Marcos Jr. ups budget for climate change programs by 48%

MANILA, Philippines — President Marcos has increased the funds allocated for climate change programs this year by about 48 percent, Climate Change Commission (CCC) vice chairman and executive director Robert Borje said yesterday.

Marcos has said climate action is particularly important to the Philippines, especially since the country is regarded as “one of the most, if not the most, vulnerable countries in the world to the effects of climate change.”

The President chairs the CCC.

Under Republic Act 9729, or the Climate Change Act of 2009, government agencies are mandated to allot funds for climate change-related activities, according to Borje.

“We call that climate change expenditure tagging and under this government, that increased by around 48 percent,” he said in an interview with radio station dzBB.

“We have to ensure that various government agencies and various government institutions not just plan, but actually implement these climate change programs,” he added.

The CCC official earlier said a total of P453.1 billion has been allotted this year by national government institutions (NGIs) for climate change expenditure to be used for adaptation and mitigation programs.

He said the figure represents a 56-percent increase from the climate change expenditure tagged for Fiscal Year 2022 of P289.7 billion, with 83 percent for adaptation and 17 percent for mitigation.

He added that NGIs’ adaptation and mitigation projects must be anchored on the following National Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAP) thematic priorities: food security, water sufficiency, human security, environmental and ecological stability, sustainable energy, climate smart industries and services, and knowledge and capacity development.

The NCCAP, developed by the CCC in consultation with relevant government agencies,  outlines the country’s strategic direction from 2011 to 2028 as a response to the current situation and projected impacts of climate change.

Borje also welcomed the inclusion of an accelerated climate change agenda in the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028, saying this will further strengthen the commitment of the Philippine government to deliver on key climate actions.

The PDP presents the five-year vision of the Marcos administration toward an upper middle-income and low-carbon development, and a climate-smart and climate-resilient Philippines.