Bloomberg awards climate grant to 35 youth groups

BORONGAN CITY — At least 35 youth organizations in Borongan City have received a total of $100,000 in grants from Bloomberg Philanthropies, a US-based philanthropic organization, to implement community-based climate change mitigation and adaptation projects.

Mayor Jose Ivan Dayan Agda announced that the funds were allocated through Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Youth Climate Action Fund (YCAF), with each selected organization receiving approximately P140,000 for their climate-related initiatives.

The grant recipients include campus-based groups from various junior and senior high schools, as well as Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) councils across the city. Members of these organizations range from 15 to 24 years old.

Their proposed projects encompass a variety of activities such as tree-planting, public education campaigns, recycling and waste reduction initiatives, and participation in mitigation planning or preparedness programs.

Agda stressed that the grant complements local government initiatives on climate change adaptation and mitigation while also fostering more active youth involvement in environmental protection.

“Borongan City is along the nautical highway for typhoon since time immemorial,” Agda said, highlighting the city’s vulnerability. “The whole city has to be involved in climate actions to reduce the impact of these typhoons.”

The city government is working to increase its forest cover to 60 percent of the total land area. One initiative requires couples to plant 10 mangrove trees before applying for a civil wedding.

Last year, Bloomberg Philanthropies’ YCAF also awarded a $50,000 grant to 13 youth organizations in Borongan City for similar climate projects.