Enrile calls for survival as nation marks typhoon ‘Ondoy’ anniversary 09/25/2010

Enrile calls for survival as nation marks typhoon ‘Ondoy’ anniversary
09/25/2010
Marking the first anniversary of typhoon “Ondoy,” Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile today issued a call for the formation of a national survival agenda anchored on public finance and adaptation to climate change.

“We know about the terrible effects of climate change and we are aware that its impacts on the Philippines will worsen. Yet it is simply not enough to just name the problem,” said Enrile. “We need to identify long-term solutions to the climate crisis along with the means to fund programs that will allow our people to cope with the rapidly and dangerously changing climate,” Enrile said.

Enrile called for the retooling of the national budget to address the vulnerabilities of Filipino communities facing the projected increase in severity and frequency of extreme weather events. The Senate President said he is studying, and will file, a bill “that will create a survival fund for local governments in anticipation of worsening impacts such as rising sea levels, intense flooding and extreme precipitation.”

Enrile said the bill he will file is focused on supporting localities “particularly exposed to the ravages of global warming. “Local Government Units are the first line of defense of hapless communities facing the effects of climate change. LGUs need predictable, long-term and directly accessible sources of public finance that can fund their climate change adaptation programs.”.... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/nation/20100925nat6.html