Binay bats for participatory initiatives vs climate change
Vice President Jejomar Binay has called on government officials to mainstream climate change adaptation measures at all levels of governance in a manner that is participatory, consultative and engaging.
Binay was in Iloilo City on Wednesday as guest of honor of the Local Government Unit Summit + 3 I Mainstreaming Climate Change Adaptation in the Philippines for City LGU, where national and local chief executives, city planners, scientists and civil society leaders across the country gathered to tackle the impact of climate change.
The event in Iloilo City is second in a series of three conferences geared to mainstream climate change adaptation in the country by providing various stakeholders from LGU a venue to agree on the urgency of addressing impacts of climate variability and extremes in order to meet the country’s Millennium Development Goals by 2015.
Binay, as chairman of Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council, also urged housing sector planners to initiate programs and initiatives aimed at increasing the country’s resilience to the projected impacts of climate change.
He also stressed the need to review the traditional zoning and building standards, the increasing threats of disasters because of the continuing population growth and environmental degradation.
Binay said the earnest implementation of climate change adaptation measures will also harness the full capacity of the LGUs in promoting sustainable development and environmental awareness.
Meanwhile, Commissioner Heherson Alvarez of Climate Change Commission lauded the programs and projects of the Iloilo City Government to mitigate the impacts of climate change.
He especially cited the initiatives spearheaded by Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog along disaster risk management and reduction.
Alvarez said, however, he needs to see more focus on watershed management and flood adaptation mechanisms, among others, in the entire Iloilo.
Mabilog gave a presentation on the fast recovery and reconstruction of Iloilo City after it was ravaged by typhoon Frank in 2008 which brought the worst flooding in the history of the place.
He said Iloilo City is now prepared for any calamity.
“We don’t want the same experience (like during typhoon Frank) to happen again,” he said, adding that the city’s Crisis Management Office personnel have been provided with necessary instruments and skills for emergency operations.
He added the important components of the Iloilo Flood Control Project have been completed and it has really helped ease the flooding in the metropolis.*
