President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has urged the public to participate in the global action against climate change in celebration of International Mother Earth Day.
“Our administration remains fully supportive of environmental programsand policies,” he said, noting these were in the Climate Change Commission PH Facebook account.
The Department of Budget and Management on Saturday also called on fellow government agencies to intensify climate change planning and programming, as the world observes Earth Day.
Meanwhile, the Climate Change Commission said that by “investing in our planet, we can take concrete steps toward mitigating the effects of climate change. This includes implementing sustainable practices, reducing our carbon footprint and promoting conservation efforts.”
The social arm of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines(CBCP) also joined the call for the government to declare a climate emergency.
According to Fr. Antonio Labiao, Caritas Philippines executive secretary, they call on the government to take action on how to address the effects of climate change.
“We are calling for a swift transition to a low-carbon economy, the protection of natural habitats and ecosystems, and the adoption of just, pro-people, and sustainable economic development practices across all sectors,” Labiao said in a statement issued in line with the celebration of Earth Day on April 22.
International Mother Earth Day was established in 2009 by the United Nations General Assembly under Resolution A/RES/63/278 to ensure the conservation, preservation, and protection of the environment.
The DBM said stakeholders must identify environment-related programs and projects in the preparation of the national budget in line with the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028.
“The serious implications that climate change pose are not just a problem for the next generation but also a present danger that is undeniably felt in our time. Thus, we need to act now by protecting our planet and its natural resources before it’s too late,” Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said in a statement.
“May we keep in mind that we are doing all these to ensure that our economic progress is moving towards a track that is truly inclusive and sustainable for all.”
Aside from increasing the 2023 budget to address climate change, the DBM allocated P2.39 billion for the National Greening Program, which includes provisions for the Protected Areas Development and Management Program, Manila Bay Rehabilitation, and Coastal and Marine Ecosystems Management Program.
“As we celebrate Earth Day, I would like to encourage my fellow Filipinos to embrace our shared responsibility to care for our planet,” Pangandaman said.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change highlighted in 2018 the scale of the challenge required to keep warming to 1.5°C.
This year, it stressed that global greenhouse gas emissions “have continued to increase, with unequal historical and ongoing contributions arising from unsustainable energy use, land use and land-use change, lifestyles, and patterns of consumption and production across regions, between and within countries, and among individuals.”
In addition, it warned that the pace and scale of climate action are still insufficient to tackle climate change.
