Legarda: Small changes to improve Earth will pay big in the future

In commemoration of World Environment Day today, Senator Loren Legarda underscored the importance of the vital connection between the overall being of the planet to the survival of the succeeding generations.

Legarda, one of the foremost advocates of the environment in the country, said that making small, eco-friendly changes in our way of life will contribute positively to the health of the environment.

“We must stop just thinking about today because the quality of life of the next generations is at stake,” Legarda said on Wednesday.

“It is time to do our small part as we are all accountable for the environment, such as reducing the use of plastic, conserving water, planting trees, and pushing for renewable energy,” she added.

Celebrated on June 5 annually, World Environment Day this year focuses on raising awareness on land restoration, desertification, and drought resilience.

The country was recently devastated by the El Niño phenomenon, which caused billions of pesos worth of damage to livelihoods, agriculture, and even the lives of humans and animals alike.

It has also caused massive challenges to water and food security, which has contributed to the displacement of many residents across the globe.

According to the most recent Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre’s Global Report 2024, disasters displaced an additional 26.4 million people in 2023 alone.

“Concrete action is needed, it is a fight for survival, not only for the future but today as well, since we are already bearing the brunt of multiple challenges posed by massive climate change,” underscored Legarda.

“Do we really want to see a barren, wasted land, where everything from food, water, and air is scarce, and people do not know how to survive the next day?”

Legarda also pushed for the full implementation of laws concerning the environment, such as the Clean Air Act, the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, and the recently signed Philippine Ecosystem and Natural Capital Accounting System (PENCAS) law.

The four-term senator, the law’s primary author and sponsor, previously lauded the signing of the bill into law, as it pushes data-driven approach that will create informed policy-making, aligning with global sustainability goals, and preservation of invaluable natural assets. (30)