Legarda pushes for determined action vs climate change anew

Senator Loren Legarda renewed her call for determined and sustained action against climate change after the Philippines was battered by several powerful storms anew.

As one of the foremost legislators on the environment, Legarda emphasized resilience, accountability, and innovation to strengthen the nation’s defenses against worsening climate impacts.

“We will be tested again, perhaps sooner than we wish. But each time, we must not only rebuild, but demand better,” Legarda said at the Philippine Resilience Awards (PRA) 2025 awards ceremony on Monday, Nov. 24. “Let us demand for smarter policies, science-driven budgets, and protection of every Filipino’s dignity.”

The Philippines recently topped the 2025 World Risk Index as the world’s most disaster-prone country, highlighting its growing vulnerability to extreme weather events, particularly severe flooding.

Provinces in Northern Luzon and the Visayas are still recovering from two of the world’s most powerful storms this year—Super Typhoons Nando and Tino—with Uwan also bringing widespread rains and severe flooding soon after.

Despite the country being considered as “ground zero” for climate disasters, Legarda said that vulnerability is a call to action with capacity, adaptation, and urgency.

“We harken back to the foundations we have laid—the Climate Change Act, the People’s Survival Fund, and our commitments under the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction,” asserted Legarda, who pushed for the adoption of these two important measures.

“These are not abstract words; they are bases for action, lifelines for communities, and guides we must strive to implement more fully in the years ahead,” Legarda added.

The four-term Senator also honored the eight winners of the Philippine Resilience Awards as exemplary leaders demonstrating outstanding resilience-building efforts amidst the challenges of climate change and disasters.

Now in its third year, Legarda has continued to support the award-giving body in its search for climate champions.

Throughout her public service, Legarda has pushed for the passage of important legislation such as Republic Act (RA) No. 9729 (Climate Change Act); RA 10121 (Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010); RA 10174 (People’s Survival Fund Act), among others. (30)