Legarda: On Earth Day, let’s act as one

Sen. Loren Legarda, a staunch environmentalist, said as the world commemorates Earth Day today (April 22), the government, public, business groups and other concerned stakeholders should reflect upon and be more aware of the present state of our environment in this fast changing and challenging times.
“How is Mother Earth in the midst of human pursuit for social and economic development? How, where and why is disaster and climate risk increasing?,” Legarda asked.
She said everybody is challenged anew to work together and act as one in strengthening the capacity of communities for reducing risk and building resilience against disasters and climate change.
“Our shared challenge today is to seize the increasing trend of exposure and vulnerability of our people and economy, especially in our cities where risk tends to grow more along with increasing population and economic activities,” Legarda stressed.
“I call on all concerned stakeholders — government, private sector, business groups, academe and media — to act as one in charting a brighter and safer future for the country and for the human society as a whole by taking active part in the ongoing consultation for the post-2015 global agenda for sustainable development and disaster risk reduction steered by the United Nations,” the Senator added.
Legarda is chiefly responsible for the passage of several environmental and climate change-related laws, including the Clean Air Act (RA 8749), Ecological Solid Waste Management Act (RA 9003), Environmental Awareness Education Act (RA 9512), Renewable Energy Act (RA 9513), Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act (RA 10121), Climate Change Act (RA 9729), and its amendatory law which provides for the creation of the People’s Survival Fund (RA 10174).

She has put climate change in the national priority in policy making. Her produced films, “Ulan sa Tag-Araw: Isang Dokyu-drama Ukol sa Pagbabago ng Klima,” children’s animation movie “Ligtas Likas”, “Buhos”, and most recently, “Ligtas”, seek to explain the science of climate change and its impact on everyday lives. Ligtas is an instructional video which gives valuable instructions and precautionary information to families and communities during typhoons, floods, landslides and other calamities.

She collaborated with the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) in the documentary “Now is the Time”, which calls on leaders and decision-makers to strive for disaster-resilient development.