Climate Change Legislation in the Philippines

During her visit to the Philippines in May 2012, Margareta Wahlstrm, special DRR representative of
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, had remarked that the countrys laws on climate change
adaptation (CCA) and disaster risk reduction (DRR) are the best in the world (Ubac, 2012).
Wahlstrm praised the Philippines for taking the lead in the global campaign to mitigate disaster
risks brought about by global warming. Senator Loren Legarda, the UN Champion for DRR and CCA
for Asia and the Pacific, thanked Wahlstrm for the compliment, but said that the challenge is to
translate them into local community action to save lives and reduce disaster risks and economic
losses.
On October 23, 2009, the Philippine Government passed the Climate Change Act of 2009 (Republic
Act 9729) less than a month after Tropical Storm Ketsana (Ondoy) hit the Philippines and caused the
most extensive flooding that Metro Manila had experienced in over 40 years. The legislation fully
integrated the priorities of the Hyogo Framework for Action. It established the Climate Change
Commission (CCC), headed by the countrys president and tasked with coordinating, monitoring, and
evaluating climate change programs and action plans (Figure 1). Various heads of cabinet
departments, such as the Secretary of the Department of Education, are in the Advisory Board.

Figure 1. Organization Chart of the Climate Change Commission (CCC, 2011)

Moreover, the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010 (Republic Act 10121)
was signed into law on May 27, 2010. The twin laws on CCA and DRR have common goals and
objectives: to increase resilience of communities and the country against natural disasters and
reduce damage and losses due to disasters (OCD, 2011). Implementation of these complementary
laws should then feed on each others efforts to attain more holistic and cost-effective outcomes.
More programmatic collaboration and enhanced institutional coordination between the CCA and
DRR are expected. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) counts
the Executive-Director of the Climate Change Office of the Climate Change Commission as one of its
members and vice-versa (UNISDR AP, 2011). However, research is still needed in the areas of
interface of climate change and disaster risk reduction, impact prediction, early detection and
warning systems (NDCC, 2009).
One of the first tasks of the Climate Change Commission was to formulate the National Framework
Strategy on Climate Change (NFSCC) and the National Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAP). The
NCCAP outlines the roadmap for adaptation and mitigation from 2011 to 2028. The goal of the
NCCAP is to build the adaptive capacities of communities, increase the resilience of vulnerable
sectors and natural ecosystems to climate change, and optimize mitigation opportunities towards a
gender-responsive and rights-based sustainable development. Under the NCCAP, priority programs
and activities will be developed to address the urgent and immediate needs and concerns of the
Philippines relating to the adverse effects of climate change. Seven strategic priorities were
identified to address the impacts of global warming to the country (Figure 2).

Figure 2. Seven strategic priorities in the NCCAP (CCC, 2011)

Among the seven strategic priorities in the NCCAP, Climate Change Education (CCE) falls under
Knowledge and Capacity Development. A brief overview of the Philippine education system is
provided below as a background to the discussion on CCE in the Philippines.

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