Group backs Legarda, Cayetano’s pro-environment stance Reiterates need to make 2010 budget ‘climate-sensitive’

The policy research and advocacy group La Liga Policy Institute (La Liga) on Thursday backed the proposal of Senators Loren Legarda and Pia Cayetano to ‘recast’ the proposed P1.541-trillion budget for 2010 to make it more ‘climate-sensitive’ and responsive to the need to prepare for the adverse impacts of climate change.

Jonathan Ronquillo, La Liga’s Envi-Campaigner, reminded lawmakers that the Philippines will remain vulnerable to climate change because of its unique geographic location.

He noted that Senators Legarda and Cayetano’s proposals supports La Liga’s alternative budget proposal.

In its alternative budget proposal entitled “Financing Climate Change Actions: A Must for the 2010 Budget”, La Liga underscored the urgent need for the Philippines to shift to a climate-sensitive development path to better respond to threats of Climate Change.

La Liga urged Malacanang to use its P140-billion ‘savings’ in 2008 to strengthen its disaster response strategy, starting with funding the ongoing rehabilitation efforts in typhoon-affected areas that were ravaged by typhoons Ondoy, Pepeng and recently, Ramil.

The paper, copies of which were submitted by La Liga to members of the Philippine senate, noted the lack of over-all national framework for climate change, highlighting the need for harmonization to ensure maximum impact of the various mitigation and adaptation initiatives of the government and various stakeholders.

“The Philippines is composed of 7,100 island and islet and is situated along the typhoon belt, which makes us more prone to natural disasters. We need to strengthen our disaster response, first by financing climate-change mitigation and adaptation measures,” he said.

La Liga, which serves as the secretariat of the Environment Cluster of the Alternative Budget Initiative (ABI) insists on allocating an additional P11.4-billion for the environment and natural resources sector to better prepare the country to extreme weather effects such as drought and super typhoons.

The amount will cover specific climate change mitigation and adaptation measures to be implemented across the various government agencies, most specially the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

Ronquillo noted that the DENR, the agency mandated to protect and promote the environment, was allotted P9.58-billion for 2010, which is 17.6% or P2-billion lower compared to the current year’s budget of P11.63-billion, which is “way below” what is expected for a country severely affected and supposedly preparing for the worst impacts of climate change.

The alternative budget proposal, Ronquillo said, will hopefully cover climate change mitigation and adaptation measures anchored on (1) renewable/sustainable energy systems; (2) biodiversity, sustainable agriculture, fisheries and forestry; (3) clean and green industrial technology; and (4) ecological waste management.

The group also reminded lawmakers to give priority to protecting the environment by funding projects for the rehabilitation and development of the country’s protected areas and national parks, and the timely release of such funds “so that concerned government agencies will be able to do its job.”

Senator Legarda wants funding for the Climate Change Act of 2009, which she authored. Signed into law by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Oct. 23, the act calls for the creation of a Climate Change Commission. Priority expenditures include the purchase of more pump boats and other rescue equipment; development of water-submersible crops; and improvement of local area disaster response operations. It also calls for steps to reduce carbon emissions and increase forest cover as risk reduction measures.

Senator Cayetano, on the other hand, called for budget realignments to finance other pro-environment laws and programs including the reinstatement of the P2-billion slash in the proposed budget of the DENR.

Source:http://envicluster.wordpress.com/2009/11/06/group-backs-legarda-cayetano%E2%80%99s-pro-environment-stance-reiterates-need-to-make-2010-budget-%E2%80%98climate-sensitive%E2%80%99/