Benitez pushes ‘whole-of-society’ approach to climate resilience

House Special Committee on Creative Industries Chair and Negros Occidental 3rd District Rep. Javier Miguel “Javi” L. Benitez is seeking to align legislative efforts toward a “whole-of-society” approach to climate justice and national safety.

Benitez visited the University of the Philippines Resilience Institute – Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards (UP RI-NOAH) for high-level discussions on the future of disaster resilience in the country. The meeting focused on integrating advanced technology with the creative industries to bridge the gap between scientific data and public understanding.

He met with UP RI-NOAH Director Dr. Mahar Lagmay, UP College of Fine Arts Dean Toym Imao, and former UP Film Institute Director Rob Rownd to explore how the arts can elevate climate change narratives.

The wide-ranging dialogue covered flood management, the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in disaster resilience, and the potential of global platforms such as Netflix to raise awareness about community resilience.

“The exchange highlighted how the arts and creative sectors can help bridge the gap between science, public understanding, and community resilience,” Lagmay said on his Facebook page.

The visit underscored the role of the creative sector in translating complex scientific data into actionable public knowledge.

A key pillar of Benitez’s climate mitigation strategy is House Bill No. 2577, which seeks to convert the current UP Resilience Institute into the University of the Philippines National Climate Resilience Institute (UP NCRI).

While UP RI has advanced evidence-based strategies, it currently lacks direct fiscal support from the national budget and permanent plantilla positions. The proposed measure would elevate it to National Institute status, ensure direct appropriations under the General Appropriations Act, establish permanent research positions, and create a centralized Resilience Knowledge Platform as a public repository for disaster data and analytics.

Benitez’s visit also forms part of a broader legislative push to address the Philippines’ status as one of the most climate-vulnerable countries. House Bill No. 694, or the “Department of Climate Resilience Act of 2025,” proposes creating a primary national agency to oversee disaster risk reduction and institutionalize a National Climate Resilience Framework.

The lawmaker is also a co-author of House Bill No. 4420, the “Climate Accountability (CLIMA) Act,” which seeks to protect vulnerable communities by establishing corporate and state accountability for greenhouse gas emissions.