Senator Ramon Revilla Jr. on Monday said there is a need for the government to revisit all its policies and programs that would mitigate the effects of climate change.
In Senate Resolution No. 262, Revilla said the Senate should conduct an inquiry, in aid of legislation, on the “palpable and emerging effects of climate change to ensure the safety and welfare of Filipinos amidst the threats and dangers brought about by the increasing frequency and intensity of natural disasters and calamities”.
“Bukod sa mitigation efforts na ginagawa natin para tugunan ang paglala ng climate change, dapat din natin tingnan muli ang mga polisiya at programa na mayroon tayo patungkol sa climate change adaptation at climate resilience upang mas maiwasan natin ang pagkawala ng buhay at pagkasira ng ating mga imprastraktura sa gitna ng pagtama ng (Apart from mitigation efforts we are doing to address the worsening of climate change, we should recheck our policies and programs regarding climate change adaptation and resilience so we can better prevent the loss of lives and the destruction of our infrastructure during) climate-related disasters,” Revilla said in a statement.
The resolution aims to ensure that the system and policies that uphold safety and resiliency are institutionalized citing the recent typhoons and storms which took Filipinos by surprise.
“Historically, these powerful natural calamities have rarely reached such intensity. It only proves the point that it is truly vital that existing laws be reviewed and updated so that systems are in place to ensure that crucial infrastructure, guidelines, and facilities are maintained and made to withstand the debilitating effects of natural calamities and disasters,” Revilla said.
He also appealed for a whole-of-nation approach in the climate change adaptation policies and practices of the country.
“Dapat magtulungan ang buong bansa, sa pangunguna ng gobyerno, kasama ang iba’t ibang mga sektor ng lipunan, para mapaigting ang ating stratehiya at depensa tuwing may sakuna (Filipinos, led by its government, and different sectors of the society should help each other to strengthen our strategies and defense in times of calamities),” he added.
Latest report from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said damage to agriculture and infrastructure by the recent Severe Tropical Storm Paeng is now at PHP7.3 billion.
The number of casualties also climbed to 156 which is greater than the number of deaths caused by Typhoon Ulysses in 2020.
Source: Philippines News Agency
