Deputy Speaker and Lone District of Antique Representative Loren Legarda is set to head the Philippine Delegation to the 25th Conference of Parties (COP25) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) from December 6 to 12, 2019 in Madrid, Spain.
Legarda underscored that this year’s UN climate talks will be critical in the Philippines’ pursuit for climate justice by calling on heads of state, climate officials, public and private organizations, and world leaders to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement, which was adopted in 2015 and entered into force in 2016.
Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) represent the majority of our enterprises and comprise the largest bulk of our workforce in the country. In 2008, I pushed for the enactment of Republic Act 9501 or the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Act to harness opportunities for employment in this sector and livelihood development in the communities.
Today, as we mark the 12th year of our country’s observance of Global Warming and Climate Change Consciousness Week, the call to accelerate and enhance our actions in addressing the impacts of climate change has never been more critical. The latest climate science has repeatedly articulated the worst case and best case scenarios for communities, for governments, for citizens as we confront the adverse impacts of climate change. We have reached the point of no return. It is either we decide to act to survive, or we stagnate and perish. As we look at disasters happening around the world, we can conclude—the planet has truly reached a tipping point.
“I see the continued strengthening of the bilateral relations between the Philippines and Germany which will be on its 66th year in 2020 .”
Deputy Speaker and Antique Congresswoman Loren Legarda made the statement following the recent signing of an academic agreement between the Ruhr University in Bochum, Germany, and the launch of Filipino language courses in Humboldt University in Berlin, Germany .
Ladies and gentlemen, climate change is the most daunting development challenge our world faces today—having the most far-reaching impact and requiring most urgent action from all.
The phenomenon is so complex and overreaching in its impacts that we should now begin calling it the ‘climate crisis.’ It threatens to take away the things we love and value– and this is the challenge that brings us to where we are today.
