MANILA, Philippines – IAANUNSYO ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ang hangarin nito na mag-host ng “Loss and Damage Fund.”
Ito ay matapos na i-adopt ng U.N. climate summit delegates ang “new fund” para tulungan ang mga mahihirap na bansa na makayanan ang “napakamahal” na climate disasters.
“The Philippines’ call for the immediate operationalization of this Fund to assist developing and vulnerable countries to respond to droughts, floods, and rising sea levels exacerbated by climate change,” ayon kay Pangulong Marcos sa naging talumpati nito na binasa naman ni Special Assistant to the President Antonio Ernesto Lagdameo Jr.
“We urge partners from the private sector, civil society, partner countries and governments, and developing funding institutions to support the Philippines in this bid. You have been there for meaningful collaboration with our government to tackle the climate crises,” ayon pa rin kay Lagdameo.
Sa pagpupundar ng pondo sa unang araw ng two-week COP28 conference, binuksan ng mga delagado ang pintuan para sa mga gobyerno na ianunsyo ang kontribusyon.
“And several did, kicking off a series of small pledges that countries hoped would build throughout the conference to a substantial sum, including $100 million from the COP28 host United Arab Emirates, at least $51 million from Britain, $17.5 million from the United States, and $10 million from Japan,” ayon sa ulat.
Nangako rin aniya ang European Union ng $245.39 million, kung saan kabilang ang $100 million na pangako ng Germany.
Samantala, binigyang diin naman ni Pangulong Marcos ang pangangailangan na kagyat na harapin ang epekto ng klima at kung paano ang Pilipinas ay palaging nangunguna sa climate issue.
“More than just an environmental issue; for us, it is a matter of survival, of justice, and of protecting the rights of our people. Thus, the Philippine Development Plan sealed the national development priorities on accelerating climate action and establishing sustainable and livable cities,” ang pahayag ng Pangulo.
Sa kabilang dako, naglaan naman ang pamahalaan ng
P453.11 billion para sa “climate change adaptation at mitigation” para sa taong 2023 habang P889.65 million naman ang ipinagkaloob sa local government units para sa climate change adaptation programs at mga proyekto sa ilalim ng “People’s Survival Fund.”
Binigyang diin din ni Pangulong kung paano ang Pilipinas, kung saan nananatiling ” third largest geothermal power producer” kasunod ng Estados Unidos at Indonesia, ay nangunguna sa low-carbon development.
“We are on track towards achieving a 35-percent renewable energy share in the power generation mix by 2023 through policy reforms that allow more investors for offshore wind and floating solar. We need to protect our forests, our oceans, and our biodiversity,” ayon kay Pangulong Marcos.
“The Philippines, being a megadiverse country, is home to 50,000 species of flora and fauna, 50 percent of which can only be found in the country. We are intensifying the protection of natural resources to restore natural ecosystems and maximize ecosystem services that will benefit indigenous peoples and local communities,” aniya pa rin. Kris Jose
