Still underspending up to now

Senator Loren Legarda called for this separate Senate inquiry in Manila in her capacity as chairperson of both the Senate committees on finance and climate change. Legarda looked into the Kidapawan protest staged by El Niño-affected farmers and fisher folks that was reportedly infiltrated by left-leaning militants who instigated trouble. Reports reaching Manila have it that farmers and fisher folks were promised sacks of rice for their starving families following the long drought that damaged their rice and corn crops.

‘There’s cash, why did tillers go hungry?

GOVERNMENT agencies have around P50 billion in funds that could be used to mitigate hunger in Kidapawan and other places hit by the El Niño dry spell, noted Sen. Loren Legarda, chair of the Senate committees on Finance and Climate Change on Friday.

“You are awash in cash. Why don’t you give it to the people who need it the most? Why is it not being spent? Why do farmers have to go hungry and get killed while demanding help?” Legarda asked a panel of agriculture and economic planning officials.

Legarda on Starting a Low-Carbon Lifestyle: Go Meatless Once a Week

Senator Loren Legarda today said that one way to start a low-carbon lifestyle is to cut down on meat consumption.

“Part of climate change mitigation is the promotion of a low carbon lifestyle. Since meat produces more greenhouse gases, eating lower on the food pyramid is advised, which means less meat and more of whole grains, fruits and vegetables,” said Legarda, Chair of the Senate Committee on Climate Change.

Legarda Seeks Climate Justice for Kidapawan Farmers After Violent Dispersal

Senator Loren Legarda today called for climate justice for the victims of the violent dispersal of farmers’ protest action in Kidapawan City, which claimed the lives of at least three farmers and wounded several others.

“I condemn in the strongest terms this act against the farmers of Mindanao. A thorough investigation on the incident and the events that led to the protest must be undertaken. We seek climate justice for the farmers and other victims of the bloody dispersal because at the root of this incident is the climate-related drought that has affected the lives and livelihood of many farming communities,” said Legarda, Chair of the Senate Committee on Climate Change.