Region 8 to be pilot in climate change adaptation, mitigation

TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines — Following the two-day First Regional Cooperatives Conference on Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation held in Palo town in Leyte, cooperatives in Eastern Visayas will join forces to lessen the effects of the so-called new normal in weather phenomenon.

The conference, graced by Senators Cynthia Villar and Loren Legarda, mapped out plans to realize the advocacy on climate change adaptation with the intent of making Eastern Visayas a pilot in this national concern.

Pete Ilagan, one of the conveners of the conference and former president of the National Association of Electricity Consumers for Reforms (NASECOR), said the plans will include massive planting of mangrove along Cancabato Bay in the Leyte side.

In an interview conducted by Ronnie Arcenas of DyVL Radio, Ilagan said that among the proposals was the declaration as Environment Week, which will cover the day commemorating the super typhoon Yolanda tragedy on November 8. This will however still require the passage of an ordinance by the Tacloban City Council, he said.

When asked by The Freeman, Tacloban City Vice Mayor Jerry “Sambo” Yaokasin, stated the Council’s support to the proposal which was broached to him by Ilagan during the Cooperatives Conference at the Leyte Academic Center last Friday.

“It will be a week of activities that will make our people conscious of the environment, effects of climate change and how best we can help in saving our environment,” Yaokasin said. Among the activities will be tree planting and coastal clean ups that will be spearheaded by the city government and non-government organizations, with the participation of faith-based organizations, youth groups and students.

Yaokasin is hopeful that the proposed activities will push through and an ordinance or an executive order declaring November 3 to 8 as Environment Week be enacted.

A survivor of the super typhoon, the vice mayor sees the importance of disaster risk reduction and mitigation measures especially in the face of climate change, espousing the slogan “PREPARE today means Saving Lives Tomorrow.”

Ilagan further bared that the Department of Budget and Management had agreed the release of fund for a mangrove nursery, which will come from the National Greening Program budget. There are now about 5,000 seedlings of various plants for shoreline reforestation now kept in a temporary repository in Palo, he said.

Ilagan said the cooperatives group is requesting from the provincial government, through Leyte Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla and Palo town Mayor Remedios Loreto-Petilla, for a possible one hectare lot to be used as permanent nursery of the mangrove seedlings for beach-forestation.

He is also coordinating with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, in cooperation with the Leyte Normal University and the University of the Philippines, for the designation of areas where the mangrove (talisay species) will be planted. (FREEMAN)