Legarda prays for climate change mitigation

MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Loren Legarda has made her own prayer as a climate change mitigation advocate and Senate chairperson of two oversight committees with strong powers to redirect reforms towards sustainable agriculture.

Her prayer runs thus: “Dear Lord, in addition to the prayers going around –of petitions that you hold Pepeng by your mighty hands – we pray that we learn to protect Mother Nature from now on. That we will each plant and nurture five trees or more a year; that we will Reduce, Recycle and Reuse; and know that You are God.”

Legarda, United Nations Regional Champion for Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation in the Asia Pacific and UN Environmental Program Laureate in 2001, has sponsored the Climate Change Bill early this year. At that time, there were some thoughts that climate change was a myth, that prognoses of erratic weather and geologic changes are exaggerated and do not warrant government quick response like the passage of the bill. The bill still awaits the President’s signature.

Called by many as ex-Green President, Legarda says we could do a lot while waiting for the signing of the bill.

Legarda, chairman of the Congressional oversight committee on agriculture and fisheries modernization (COCAFM), calls on the education and training departments to use the National Agriculture and Fisheries Education System (NAFES) to maximize the opportunities in providing our people exactly the education and training that they need to protect and rehabilitate our lowland, upland and fish farms.

She urged the Department of Education to work closely with the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in revitalizing the NAFES, especially in agriculture and fishery areas where many impoverished farmers and fisherfolk need functional literacy.