Cebu urged: Align climate plans amid rising risks

The Climate Change Commission (CCC), together with national agencies, local governments and faith-based leaders, is calling for stronger alignment between local development planning and national climate policies to boost Cebu’s resilience against intensifying climate threats.

At the Cebu Climate Action Summit 2026, the CCC stressed the importance of the National Adaptation Plan as a guide for LGUs in crafting science-based and actionable strategies, including Local Climate Change Action Plans, Annual Investment Plans, and Disaster Risk Reduction and Management programs.

The commission warned that Cebu’s exposure to flooding, landslides, sea level rise and extreme rainfall continues to grow. From 2021 to 2025, the province recorded nearly P14 billion in damages from major typhoons, including “Odette,” “Tino” and “Uwan.”

CCC vice chairperson and executive director Robert E.A. Borje said the challenge is no longer the lack of plans, but the lack of coordination.

“We do not lack plans. We lack alignment. If conditions are changing, our path to development cannot remain the same,” Borje said. “When systems align, risk is reduced before it becomes loss.”

He added that climate risks are now interconnected across sectors, making integrated planning more urgent.

“We are no longer dealing with isolated hazards, but with risks that move across systems,” he said.

The summit also highlighted inclusive and community-based approaches. Cebu Disability-Inclusive DRR convenor Corazon B. Clarin stressed that persons with disabilities must be fully integrated into climate action.