Legarda calls for immediate climate action amidst flooding crisis

Senator Loren Legarda called for urgent, bold, and accountable climate action, following a series of devastating floods this July that have killed at least 38 and affected more than 8 million Filipinos across the country.

In a privilege speech delivered to the Senate today, Senator Legarda stressed that climate change has worsened from an environmental issue to a crisis impacting human rights, national development, and governance.

The Senator cited a recent advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which affirms that climate inaction constitutes a breach of binding international obligations to prevent, reduce, and redress the adverse effects of climate change.

“The age of climate action as a mere policy preference is over. Inaction is now a potential breach of international law,” Legarda said.

“And perhaps more importantly, all necessary measures to protect the climate system must be taken by States as a matter of human right, because climate change is not just an environmental emergency, but an existential human rights crisis,” she added.

Recently, three cyclones—Crising, Dante, and Emong—which battered a large part of the Philippines, destroying over 50,000 homes and causing P13 billion in damage to critical infrastructure and agriculture.

“Tayo ang laging nasa unang hanay ng panganib. Tayo ang laging nawawalan ng tahanan, nahihinto ang pag-aaral, nagkakasakit, naglilibing, at nagluluksa,” lamented Legarda.

“Sa bawat hampas ng bagyo, buhay at kinabukasan ng Pilipino ang kapalit,” she added.

Despite contributing only 0.5% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, the Philippines topped the World Risk Report as the most vulnerable nation to natural disasters.

Legarda called for accountability amid worsening problems caused by poor governance, including corruption, weak law enforcement, and lack of disaster preparedness. She called for immediate action in four critical areas: ensuring transparency and accountability in climate finance; supporting local governments in developing science-based adaptation and resilience plans; strictly enforcing environmental laws, especially the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, while advancing renewable energy, green industries, and climate-smart agriculture; and using the ICJ opinion to urge high-emission nations toward climate justice, finance, and technology transfers.

“We must move faster, smarter, and more boldly than anyone else. We’re not starting from scratch: we have the institutions; we have the laws. We simply need to make them work,” asserted Legarda.

“Hindi na ito tungkol sa susunod na henerasyon lamang, dahil ang Pilipino ang nakakaramdam ng dagok ng krisis ngayon mismo. Pero sa bawat tamang hakbang, tayo rin ang unang makikinabang.”

Legarda also called for a comprehensive Philippine Climate Prosperity Investment Memorandum to be formulated and delivered to enable the country to maximize renewable energy, green industrialization, high-value agriculture, and resilient systems, services, and infrastructure.

The four-term senator has championed landmark legislation including the Climate Change Act, People’s Survival Fund Act, Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act, Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System Act, Philippine Clean Air Act, Philippine Clean Water Act, Renewable Energy Act, and National Environmental Awareness and Education Act.

She also pivoted the country into ratifying the Paris Agreement, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and the Kyoto Protocol, among others. (30)

Legarda nanawagan ng agarang aksyon sa gitna ng krisis sa pagbaha

Nanawagan si Senadora Loren Legarda ng agaran at may pananagutang aksyon ukol sa klima kasunod ng sunud-sunod na mapaminsalang pagbaha nitong Hulyo na kumitil ng hindi bababa sa 38 katao at nakaapekto sa mahigit 8 milyong Pilipino sa buong bansa.

Sa kanyang privilege speech, binigyang-diin ni Legarda na ang pagbabago ng klima ay lumala na mula sa pagiging isyung pangkalikasan tungo sa isang krisis na nakaaapekto sa karapatang pantao, pambansang kaunlaran, at pamamahala.

Binanggit ng Senadora ang opinyon kamakailan ng International Court of Justice (ICJ) na nagsasaad na ang kawalan ng aksyon ukol sa klima ay isang paglabag sa umiiral na internasyonal na obligasyong pigilan, bawasan, at itama ang masamang epekto ng pagbabago ng klima.

“The age of climate action as a mere policy preference is over. Inaction is now a potential breach of international law,” sabi ni Legarda.

“And perhaps more importantly, all necessary measures to protect the climate system must be taken by States as a matter of human right, because climate change is not just an environmental emergency, but an existential human rights crisis,” dagdag niya.

Kamakailan, tatlong bagyo—Crising, Dante, at Emong—ang nanalasa sa malaking bahagi ng Pilipinas, na sumira sa mahigit 50,000 kabahayan at nagdulot ng P13 bilyong halaga ng pinsala sa imprastraktura at agrikultura.

“Tayo ang laging nasa unang hanay ng panganib. Tayo ang laging nawawalan ng tahanan, nahihinto ang pag-aaral, nagkakasakit, naglilibing, at nagluluksa,” ani Legarda.

“Sa bawat hampas ng bagyo, buhay at kinabukasan ng Pilipino ang kapalit,” dagdag niya.

Bagaman 0.5% lamang ang ambag ng Pilipinas sa greenhouse gas emissions ng buong mundo, nanguna ito sa World Risk Report bilang bansang pinaka-vulnerable sa mga sakunang dulot ng kalikasan.

Nanawagan si Legarda ng pananagutan sa gitna ng lumalalang mga suliranin dulot ng kahinaan sa pamamahala, kabilang ang korapsyon, mahinang pagpapatupad ng batas, at kakulangan sa kahandaan sa sakuna. Hinimok niya ang agarang pagkilos sa apat na pangunahing larangan:

Pagtiyak sa transparency at pananagutan sa paggamit ng pondo para sa klima; pagsuporta sa mga lokal na pamahalaan sa pagbuo ng mga planong nakabatay sa siyensya para sa pag-angkop at katatagan; mahigpit na pagpapatupad ng mga batas pangkalikasan, lalo na ang Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, habang isinusulong ang renewable energy, green industries, at climate-smart agriculture; at pagpapalakas ng panawagan para sa climate justice, tulong-pinansyal, at teknolohikal mula sa mga bansang may mataas na carbon emissions gamit ang opinyon ng ICJ.

“We must move faster, smarter, and more boldly than anyone else. We’re not starting from scratch: we have the institutions; we have the laws. We simply need to make them work,” giit ni Legarda.

“Hindi na ito tungkol lamang sa susunod na henerasyon, dahil tayo mismo—ang Pilipino—ang nakararamdam ng hagupit ng krisis ngayon. Ngunit sa bawat tamang hakbang, tayo rin ang unang makikinabang,” aniya.

Nanawagan rin si Legarda na buuin ang isang komprehensibong Philippine Climate Prosperity Investment Memorandum upang magamit ng bansa ang potensyal nito sa renewable energy, green industrialization, high-value agriculture, at mga sistemang matatag sa harap ng krisis.

Nakapagpasa ng mga makasaysayang batas ang four-term senator tulad ng Climate Change Act, People’s Survival Fund Act, Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act, Expanded National Integrated, Protected Areas System Act, Philippine Clean Air Act, Philippine Clean Water Act, Renewable Energy Act, at National Environmental Awareness and Education Act.

Pinangunahan din niya ang pag-ratify ng Pilipinas sa Paris Agreement, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, at Kyoto Protocol, at iba pa. (30)