In the words of French Ambassador Marie Fontanel herself, Sen. Loren Legarda, in championing the Manila Agreement on climate change in 2015 that was adopted by Paris and the world at a summit later that year, has given the world an everlasting gift.
“In a sense, we owe you, and the Philippines, dear Loren, the success of the COP21 and the Paris agreement,” Ambassador Fontanel said after conferring on Sen. Legarda, on behalf of the French government, the prestigious title of Officier dans l’Ordre National de la Légion d’Honneur in a who’s-who ceremony at the French Embassy Residence in Makati.
“The whole story started in Manila,” Ambassador Fontanel once told me.
“COP 21” was the 21st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
“Madam Senator, dear Loren, you are the strongest advocate in raising awareness on climate change and the protection of our planet. And your commitment is a longstanding one,” said the French envoy.
“You understood the importance of protecting our environment, before many others, no doubt because you know the consequences of climate change here in your own country,” added Ambassador Fontanel, who was regal in a beaded gown in hablon that was a pre-loved gift from the senator. Her daughter Louise was also wearing a gift from Legarda that the latter quipped she wore when her waist was still “23 inches, not 33.”
It can be recalled that nine years ago, President François Hollande and President Benigno Aquino launched with Legarda and Academy-award-winning actress Marion Cotillard (Legarda remembers it was under a balete tree in the gardens of Malacañang), the Manila Call to Action on Climate Change.
“No one here will forget you initiated the ‘Manila Call to Action on Climate Change’ that both Presidents Aquino and Hollande launched here in Manila on Feb. 26, 2015, calling on all heads of state to gather in Paris a few months later, and make the success of the COP 21,” Ambassador Fontanel said.
“You were the voice of the English version of the call when French actress Marion Cotillard was the voice of the French version. In a sense, we owe you, and the Philippines, dear Loren, the success of the COP 21 and the Paris agreement. Now, France and the Philippines share a responsibility to ‘make our planet great again’.”
“From Manila today, we hope to make history together in Paris in December and not simply watch history unfold,” the 2015 Manila statement read.
“And that’s how you were made a Knight of the Legion of Honour by presidential decree on July 7, 2015,” Ambassador Fontanel recalled. “This chapter continues today, 10 years later, with the preparation of the United Nations Oceans Conference that will be held in Nice in June 2025.”
For her part, Legarda, who loves French onion soup and all things French, said, “Over the years, my collaborations with France have been grounded in a deep respect for our shared values, particularly in cultural diplomacy and the fight for climate justice. ”
“But nothing is more pressing today than our cooperation on climate action. Our bilateral relationship reached new heights in 2015 with the adoption of the Manila Call to Action for Climate Change, urging the world to respond to climate change.”
Legarda led the Philippine Senate in ratifying the Paris Agreement. She also championed the Philippines’ participation in the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People, which aims to protect at least 30 percent of the world’s land and ocean by 2030. And last June 5, she joined the French Embassy’s launch of the “Blue Nations” initiative, aimed at enhancing cooperation between France and the Philippines on maritime and climate issues, leading up to the 2025 UN Oceans Conference in Nice.
“The Philippines and France are true climate allies, bound by a common purpose and a shared responsibility to protect our planet. Together, we have shown that no obstacle is too great when nations stand united in the face of adversity. Our shared vision of a sustainable future for the next generation is a promise that we must uphold,” Legarda vowed.
The Ordre National de la Légion d’Honneur is France’s esteemed distinction, awarded for outstanding service to the nation.
“This award is more than a recognition of past efforts; it is a call to action — a reminder that our partnership knows no bounds and will persist in the face of shared global challenges,” Sen. Legarda said.
In other words, her commitment to saving the planet isn’t fleeting. As they say in Filipino slang, “hindi weather-weather lang.”
You may e-mail me at joanneraeramirez@yahoo.com. Follow me on Instagram @joanneraeramirez.