Lawmaker eyes ‘green jobs’to curb climate change

MANILA, Philippines - A lawmaker is proposing the creation of more “green jobs” to reduce the adverse effects of climate change and help the country minimize damage brought about by disasters.

Rep. Karlo Nograles of Davao City has filed House Bill 4969, which seeks to encourage more environment-friendly industries and services.

The bill will grant incentives to industries that will contribute to the creation of green jobs, services and programs and utilization of green technologies, in the form of special deductions from gross income.

Nograles said in a statement that Manila was ranked second among the cities most exposed to the adverse effects of climate change in the 2013 Maplecroft Vulnerability Index.

He said he sees this bill as an opportunity to build a stepping-stone toward a smooth transition to a green economy – one that targets resource-efficiency and reduction of environmental risks and scarcities.

Under the bill, the Department of Labor and Employment will be in charge of generating green jobs while the Department of Education and the Commission on Higher Education are expected to implement a curriculum development in support of the transition to a green economy.