CCC calls for stronger, science-based collaboration to boost climate resilience

The Climate Change Commission (CCC) has urged stronger, science-driven, and multisectoral collaboration to enhance the Philippines’ resilience against the escalating impacts of climate change.

During the recent inauguration of the Climate Actors’ Forum and Exchange held at Novotel Manila in Quezon City, CCC Vice Chairperson and Executive Director Robert E.A. Borje emphasized that the country’s climate action must be anchored on science, foresight, and inclusive governance.

“To build right at first sight is to make resilience deliberate, not accidental,” Borje said. “The measure of good governance is not how fast we rebuild, but how rarely we need to.”

The forum, organized in partnership with the Oscar M. Lopez Center, gathered representatives from government, academe, civil society, and the private sector. Discussions centered on the findings of the Philippine Climate Change Assessment Report Cycle 2 (PhilCCA C2), which outlines the state of climate science in the country and its implications for national adaptation and mitigation policies.

Borje stressed that the PhilCCA serves as a vital reference for implementing the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) 2023–2050 and the Philippines’ Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to the Paris Agreement.

“The PhilCCA tells us where we stand and what is at stake,” he said, noting that the Philippines is warming faster than the global average, while sea levels are rising three times faster than the global mean.

Without urgent and coordinated action, Borje warned that climate-related losses could reach ₱506 billion annually, equivalent to 7.6 percent of GDP by 2030 and 13.6 percent by 2040.

Citing the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to strengthen evidence-informed climate policies, the CCC urged all sectors to use the PhilCCA findings to shape localized and sectoral strategies, bridge data gaps, and develop actionable adaptation and mitigation solutions.

“Let us open that window wider to let in science, collaboration, and accountability. Let us expand the space not only for discussion, but for decision and delivery,” Borje said.

The event featured plenary discussions by PhilCCA working groups, parallel sessions on sectoral adaptation, and an expo highlighting climate innovations and partnerships aimed at translating research into practical solutions for communities.

Through initiatives like the Climate Actors’ Forum, the CCC reaffirmed its commitment to advancing science-based, transparent, and inclusive climate governance—ensuring that resilience in the Philippines is not left to chance, but built by design.