Legarda Urges Communities to Embrace Climate Adaptation

In line with the southwest monsoon affecting the entire Philippines, Deputy Speaker and Antique Congresswoman Loren Legarda today urged local communities to implement measures to combat climate change and its effects.

Legarda, an environmental champion, said that local communities should learn to adapt to climate change as its effects are getting worse and damaging.

“Climate change is real and we are experiencing its effects everyday. The change in weather patterns, the worsening calamities, and the disturbances seen in ecosystems—these are only some of its effects,” said Legarda.

“If we do not stop it or learn to adapt to it, we will be effectively destroying the world we live in. In a few years or so, we will be producing less output from our farms, drinking toxic water, and seeing worsening pollutions of rivers and oceans, if we do not adapt,” she added.

She cited 10 local climate adaptation solutions, which include: reducing waste to zero, recycling and reusing, and refusing single-use plastics; harvesting rainwater for household and community use; and installing rain gardens, food gardens, and edible landscapes for food sufficiency.

“Our local communities can make roadside ditches that will mitigate floods; promote climate field schools and resilient livelihoods for farming and rural communities, which will also promote women leadership roles; and harness solar and other renewable energy that will electrify homes, schools, barangay halls, and public places,” she added.

“Knowing local risks for hazards and creating early warning systems will help ensure early action at the household and community level,” continued Legarda, who authored several landmark environmental laws such as the Clean Air Act, the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, the Climate Change Act, and the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act.

Other local climate change adaptation solutions she shared include planting bamboo to protect slopes, prevent landslides, and provide livelihood; planting mangroves and sea grasses to protect coastal ecosystems and communities; and preparing for emergency response and swift recovery from the impacts of extreme weather events, which may include contingency planning and drills.***