Quezon city: The Climate Change Commission (CCC) has raised alarm over escalating urban heat risks, urging local government units (LGUs) to fast-track the localization of the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) 2023-2050 to better protect communities.
According to Philippines News Agency, during the Urban Heat and Drought Summit 2026 organized by the Quezon City Government and CityNet on Tuesday, CCC officials stressed that extreme heat is no longer a future threat but a present danger, particularly in densely populated cities.
Based on records, in Quezon City alone, heat index levels reached as high as 46°C in 2024 and 2025, posing serious health risks, disrupting daily activities, and straining power and water systems.
'This dry season, we continue to experience intense heat, which highlights the need for urgent and coordinated action. Through NAP localization, we provide a science-based roadmap that will guide the country in addressing heat risks while protecting key sectors and human health,' CCC Vice Chairperson and Executive Director Robert E.A. Borje said.
He stressed that localizing the NAP provides a 'science-based roadmap' that enables LGUs to directly address heat risks and safeguard vulnerable sectors.
'The NAP is a tailored-fit adaptation strategy for each locality, ensuring that interventions respond directly to their unique climate risks and conditions,' he said.
The CCC said the effectiveness of the national plan hinges on its implementation at the community level, where climate impacts are most acutely felt.
Arnold Grant Belver of the CCC's Policy Research and Development Division underscored the need for stronger coordination between national and local governments to ensure that the NAP translates into concrete, inclusive, and climate-resilient actions for every community.
QC Mayor Joy Belmonte, meanwhile, said climate change impacts are most visible at the local level, where communities directly experience rising temperatures.
'But climate change does not announce itself in global averages, it is felt by our people, most especially in specific places,' she said.
The NAP, developed under the leadership of Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., serves as the country's long-term roadmap to boost climate resilience and adaptive capacity through 2050.
The summit brought together national agencies, academe, private sector, development partners, and key stakeholders to strengthen collaboration and accelerate solutions to combat urban heat and drought.
The CCC said it will continue pushing for localized climate action as rising temperatures increasingly threaten public health and urban systems.
