Legarda to LGUs: Submit plan vs Climate Change

CEBU, Philippines - Senator Loren Legarda is urging local government units to follow the law and submit their Local Climate Change Action Plans (LCCAP) to the Climate Change Commission (CCC).

Legarda, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Climate Change and principal author of Republic Act No. 9729 or the Climate Change Act, made the statement following reports from the CCC that only 584 out of 1,634 cities and municipalities (36%) in the country have LCCAP as of July 2015.

“All LGUs should follow the law and have their own local climate action plans. We can no longer delay climate action. For a vulnerable nation like the Philippines, delayed action means loss of lives, livelihood, ecosystems and biodiversity,” Legarda said in a statement.

Legarda said there is a need to take urgent action adapt to the effects of climate change, reduce the risks in the communities, mitigate global warming, and move towards sustainability.

RA 9729 mandates that LGUs shall be the frontline agencies in formulating, planning and implementing Climate Change action plans in their respective areas, consistent with the provisions of the Local Government Code, the National Framework Strategy on Climate Change, and the National Climate Change Action Plan.

Legarda, UNISDR Global Champion for Resilience, said that local action is crucial because every community has its own vulnerabilities, risks and hazards.

She explained that LGUs must determine how their community is affected by Climate  Change.

She said the location of the community, the direct impact of Climate Change, and the risks posed by extreme weather events are crucial in crafting a climate change adaptation plan.

“It is lamentable that we are among the least emitters of greenhouse gases yet we are directly hit by the effects of climate change,” she said.

“We must prove to the world that though we are vulnerable, we are not incapable of action,” she added.  (FREEMAN)