Legarda pushes for innovation anew in fight against climate change

In observance of Global Warming and Climate Change Consciousness Week, Senator Loren Legarda urged Filipinos to take renewed action through innovative and transformative approaches to confront the worsening climate crisis. This year’s theme, “Makabagong Kilusan para sa Klima at Kinabukasan, ” urges a nationwide movement toward a more sustainable future.

Legarda said that recent powerful typhoons should serve as a wake-up call to the country, that continued inaction by both government and citizens will lead to greater disaster.

“There must be urgent and sustained climate action as storms have increased in intensity and scope, affecting millions of Filipinos, leading to the suffering of a great deal of our people,” said Legarda.

“We must not scrimp our efforts, we must not adapt to the changing times because resiliency is something we need to rely on, to help ourselves become formidable against the powerful earth.”

Speaking at the Philippine Resilience Awards 2025 on Monday, November 24, Legarda demanded smarter policies, science-based budgets, and protection for every Filipino.

She also defended and sponsored the budget of the Climate Change Commission during plenary deliberations on the 2026 national budget, underscoring the agency’s central role in advancing climate policy.

She emphasized that all stakeholders must play their part for a collective commitment, noting that collaboration among all sectors is crucial to strengthening adaptation and mitigation efforts against climate-induced disasters such as flooding.

“We are at a point of no return. We must institute concrete action to mitigate the effects of extreme weather, and not put the lives of our countrymen at risk,” asserted Legarda.

“Let us think about the safety of our fellow Filipinos. The recent storms have shown that nature does not discriminate. Let us be responsible in our deeds.”

In the Senate, Legarda has long championed environmental legislation, such as the Climate Change Act, the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010, and the People’s Survival Fund Act, among others. (30)