P-Noy urged to sign People's Survival Fund bill into law

MANILA, Philippines - A non-profit organization has urged President Aquino to immediately sign the People’s Survival Fund bill into law.

Miguel Magalang, a member of the Climate Reality Project (TCRP)-Philippine District and Marinduque Council for Environmental Concerns executive director, said the People’s Survival Fund aims to finance adaptation are directly supportive of the objectives enumerated in the Climate Change Action Plans of local governments and communities.

Al Gore, Nobel Laureate and former vice president of the United States, founded TCRP, which he chairs.

“Hence, strengthening the Climate Change Act of 2009 by providing predictable, adequate, continuous and untied financing for local climate adaptation,” he said.

Rodne Galicha, TCRP Philippine district manager, said Metro Manila and many surrounding provinces have been experiencing heavier and longer precipitation for almost a week now.

“Storm surges have gone beyond the usual areas and communities which never experienced flooding are facing a new challenge alien to them,” he said.

“This is the ‘new normal’. We are facing a phenomenon we never experienced before... “Extreme drought and high temperatures are felt in the other side of the world such as the United States – and here in our country, prolonged rain which results to extreme flooding.”

TCRP observed that extreme weather conditions are becoming more evident as more heat is trapped in the thickening of the atmosphere due to high concentration of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.

“As temperatures increase, more water is evaporated from the oceans into the sky,” TRCP said.

Magalang said adaptation strategies must be localized and done comprehensively with assured capacity building and financing.

Disasters serve as a wake-up call for all sectors of society to actively involve in disaster risk reduction planning and budgeting processes, he added.

Politics should not deny safety and security of the poor and vulnerable, Magalang said.

Galicha said the solution to the crisis is climate justice – going beyond monetizing Mother Earth – giving back what is due to nature.

“However, while we mitigate and adapt, we are deeply concerned with the continuous exploitation of our natural resources and unabated carbon emissions of developed countries – the solution to the climate crisis does not lie only on us but to the genuine commitment of the global community, especially of the Annex 1 countries,” he said.

TCRP has more than 5 million members and supporters worldwide.

Environmentalists asked concerned national and local government agencies to conduct immediate inspection and assessment of waste disposal facilities following persistent rains in many parts of the country, particularly in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.

The EcoWaste Coalition said the site inspection is crucial as garbage disposal facilities are prone to flooding, soil erosion, leachate spillage, “garbageslide” and other health and environmental hazards.

The group specifically urged the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the National Solid Waste Management Commission, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council and local government units (LGUs) hosting garbage transfer stations, dumpsites or landfills to fully assess the physical conditions of the facilities amid the inclement weather.