Legarda hints of climate advocacy sabotage

Senator Loren Legarda on Monday recounted during the 2024 Philippine Resilience Awards the challenges she faced in advocating for climate action.

Legarda hinted at resistance to her efforts to institutionalize climate action in government policy. She suggested that funding mechanisms for climate initiatives were deliberately undermined by certain individuals, though she refrained from naming names.

“One day, I will tell you the story of the certain persons who took out the funding mechanisms for the climate,” the senator said.

Legarda recalled how some critics questioned her focus on climate issues, arguing that more immediate concerns, such as the struggles of Filipino farmers and fisherfolk, should take precedence.

She talked of an “inside story” regarding the resistance she faced, referencing the individuals involved. “Others have passed on to paradise, others are still around,” she said.

The senator also discussed the barriers she encountered while pushing for the creation of a dedicated Senate committee on climate change.

She said the committee faced resistance from leaders who believed the existing environment committee was sufficient to handle climate-related issues. “Some said there was no need for a committee on climate change because there was a committee on environment. The chair did not want it to be created because they did not believe that climate should be a stand-alone issue,” Legarda said.

While the committee on climate was once separate from the environment and natural resources committee, it eventually collapsed after Legarda’s third term in the Senate.

“I’m back in the Senate now, and I hope we can create the standing committee on climate because, as anyone in this room knows, climate change is not only the environment, it’s everything we do,” Legarda stressed.

Legarda on Monday also underscored the crucial role of women as powerful agents of change in the ongoing battle against climate change.

“Their knowledge, experience, and leadership are critical to build resilience,” Legarda said during her keynote speech at the Philippine Resilience Awards in Pasay City.

“This is why we must continue to amplify our voices, not only in the community but in decision-making processes at all levels of government,” she added. During the event, the four-term senator led in the launch of the Journey to Climate Resilience: The Philippine Story book and the Filipina Changemakers video documentary.

The Climate Change Commission, in partnership with the office of Senator Legarda, has spearheaded the production of a book that presents the country’s initiatives towards climate resilience on the legislative and executive fronts.