Sen. Sherwin “Win” Gatchalian on Thursday urged the Climate Change Commission to enhance its monitoring of greenhouse gas emissions, arguing that better data could help mitigate the impacts of climate change and improve the country’s flood control program.
“The CCC should show the science behind climate change to guide flood control projects. It’s easy to blame climate change, but if it’s truly the cause of increased flooding, we need actionable solutions like an effective flood control program,” Gatchalian said.
During the Senate hearing on the CCC’s proposed 2026 budget, the senator said the agency should move beyond rhetoric and present evidence-based strategies for addressing worsening flooding.
According to him, the government needs an annual system to track emissions and evaluate whether the Philippines is making progress in reducing its carbon footprint.
He explained that reliable monitoring would allow policymakers to gauge the effectiveness of mitigation efforts and hold sectors accountable.
“We want the CCC to give us scientific solutions to climate change and be relevant to our constituents,” Gatchalian concluded.
The call came as the Senate continues to investigate questionable flood control projects that failed to protect communities despite billions of pesos in spending.
