BY: RACHELLE M. NESSIA
CEBU CITY, October 15 (PIA) --- The Philippine Climate Change Commission (CCC) in partnership with the Philippine Network of Environment Journalists (PNEJ), recently conducted a media workshop in Cebu City for journalists from Regions 6, 7, and 8.
Topics tackled during the workshop included a briefing on climate change, its impacts and the need for adaptation from scientist Dr. Rosa Perez; updates on policy initiatives implemented by CCC from Vice Chairperson Sec. Lucille Sering; Climate Change Awareness Campaign from PIA-7 Regional Director Minerva Newman; and reporting on climate change from PNEJ President Imelda Abano.
Sec. Sering disclosed that there is now a plan to harmonize and rationalize water management in the country with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) tasked to be the water czar.
“There are 30 national government agencies handling water in the Philippines. This is a new policy that will address water use,” she said.
She added that Pres. Benigno S. Aquino III has given the nod for 300 more Ecotowns in the country in the next three years.
The Ecotown Framework developed by CCC is the implementation of the National Climate Change Action Plan into the local community.
It aims to help raise adaptive capacity of communities by making it economically stable and environmentally-resilient.
Sering also revealed that Cebu and the Visayas region play a key role to CCC’s climate advocacy efforts.
“Cebu is the second most important metropolis next to Metro Manila. While the commitment of the LGU is there, they should look into their vulnerabilities such as having only one airport. They should start looking if the main entry of transport to Cebu is declared as a safe area," she said in an interview.
The workshop capped with a round-table discussion with journalists from Tacloban who talked about their post-Yolanda reporting challenges and the lessons they learned from the reporting about the disaster on-the-ground while themselves having been affected by the storm surge. (rmn/PIA Cebu)