Addressing climate change through Filipino unity

As we near the 126th anniversary of the Philippines’ Independence Day, Filipinos around the globe have every reason to reflect on the sacrifices of and battles fought by our forefathers for our sovereignty and the wars we still need to wage and win for a progressive and prosperous Philippines.

Rightly, we must be grateful for the independence we enjoy today. But our freedom comes with the responsibility to protect it and the resolve to continue contributing to nation-building.

As we face the modern enemy and existential challenge that is climate change, Filipinos must unite and strive for collective action toward resilience.

Despite contributing only 0.49 percent of the total global greenhouse gas emissions, the Philippines is among the countries severely impacted by climate change and the effects of global warming.

Climate change worsens ecological issues such as sea-level rise, coastal erosion, flooding, ocean acidification, intensified tropical cyclones, extreme droughts and rainfalls, climate-induced diseases, changing wind patterns, heat waves, biodiversity loss, and habitat loss, which are becoming more intense and frequent in the region.

With no signs of a decrease in the global temperature, the Philippines is expected to suffer more losses and damages. In the last 10 years alone, tropical cyclones have cost the country economic losses of P673.30 billion or 3 percent of our gross domestic product.

Other climate change-induced disasters, particularly floods and droughts combined with ecological degradation, caused a significant 5 percent reduction in rice crop yields and a decline in fish catch potential, affecting many of our farmers and fisherfolk. Intensifying severe weather events have contributed to a surge of public health problems such as dengue, malaria, cholera and typhoid fever in the country.

Given these pressing climate change-induced issues, it is crystal clear that our battle for a secure, sustainable, prosperous and progressive Philippines continues.

Recognizing the gravity of our current struggle with climate change, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s administration has ramped up efforts to address the issue. The country aims to build a climate-resilient and climate-smart Philippines through effective policy development, environmental resource monitoring and management, and awareness building.

Aligning with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the country has developed several plans that encapsulate its strategies and actions for climate change adaptation and to lessen its effects. The National Climate Change Action Plan 2011-2028, a comprehensive framework developed to help enhance the country’s resilience and adaptive capacity, is one. It is focused on ensuring food security, water sufficiency, ecosystems and environmental stability, human security, climate-smart industries and services, sustainable energy, and knowledge and capacity development amid climate change impacts.

Meanwhile, the Philippines’ first National Adaptation Plan — completed under President Marcos’ administration — is a strategic document that outlines our climate adaptation measures. It identifies ways and strategies to enhance the country’s resilience by integrating adaptation strategies into national and local development planning. Likewise, through the Philippine Development Plan, climate resiliency is integrated into the formulation of the country’s development goals, strategies, and policies, ensuring that climate change is mainstreamed across all sectors.

Besides policy formulation and planning, the government has also initiated programs to restore, protect and monitor our environment’s health, which ultimately contribute to our efforts to address climate change. These plans and initiatives demonstrate the power of Filipino collectivity, echoing the spirit of unity during our fight for Philippine independence.

To further bolster and ensure transformative climate action, government policies, plans and projects, however, the key to freedom from the compounding, disproportionate and differentiated impacts of climate change lies within: the common resolve that binds us all together to act as one nation.

And while support for and compliance with government policies, plans and projects will be critical for success, as individuals, we can do many things to help address climate change.

Whether we reduce our energy consumption, manage our waste efficiently, travel sustainably, conserve water or educate others on climate change, we all play a vital role in promoting a sustainable future. Just as every effort of our forefathers counted in the fight for our independence, every action we take today can contribute to our goal of freeing ourselves from climate change and its deleterious impacts on all of us.

On the 126th anniversary of the declaration of Philippine independence, the challenge to us all is clear and the required collective science-based actions are indisputable. Let us all do our part. Let us remember, no task is too small nor any responsibility too big for us to contribute and ensure that we win the fight against climate change.