Roi
Anthoni B. Lomotan
DUMAGUETE CITY,
Feb. 27 (PIA) – With 450 days left before Aquino Administration ends, a Cabinet
official announced that government will intensify its climate change mitigation
and adaptation interventions to areas that are highly susceptible to the ill
effects of this climate crisis.
Sec. Neric Acosta, the Presidential Adviser on Environmental
Protection, said they will concentrate on introducing adaptive
technologies and other climate change mitigation innovations to the most
vulnerable provinces, cities and coastal communities in the remaining days of
President Aquino’s term.
He cited that Eastern Visayas as well as Cebu, some parts of
Mindanao, areas surrounding the Laguna Lake and Metro Manila are included in
areas where the government will focus their interventions.
Acosta was in Dumaguete City for a speaking engagement in
Foundation University on environmental imperatives for present environmental
initiatives.
In a meeting with members of the press, Acosta talked about his
office’s initiative in capacity building of communities and engaging local
government units, schools, barangays to take actions against climate change.
“We are here to engage schools, the community, barangays,
non-government organizations because that’s what really what counts,” he said.
Acosta also encouraged local leaders to have science and
empirically driven policy decisions and community engagement kind of
intervention that will enable citizens to shift to green design as part of
climate change adaptation and mitigation measures.
The Presidential Adviser also lauded Foundation University’s
environmental sustainability programs and projects and he hopes that this could
be replicated to other parts of the country.
Meanwhile, also made an emphasize to Manila Call to Action on
Climate Change, a joint statement of the Philippines and France addressing the
climate problem during the visit of French President Francois Hollande in the
country.
Acosta said Manila’s call to action will also set the direction or
focus to government’s intervention against climate change in the coming days.
(rmn/ral/PIA7-NegOr)