Groups urge gov’t to act on climate change

MANILA, Philippines - Several groups have urged the government to act on climate change six months after Super Typhoon Yolanda struck the  Visayas.

The groups also questioned the government’s rehabilitation programs under the Office of the Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation and Recovery headed by former senator Panfilo Lacson.

Dennis Calvan, a member of the Campaign for Land Use Policy Now and executive director of NGOs for Fisheries Reform, issued the appeal after the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released its fifth assessment report highlighting the implications of global warming on the environment.

Calvan said that farmers have been affected by land-grabbing incidents in areas devastated by Yolanda.

He said the residents are being barred from rebuilding their homes in Tacloban because of the government’s “no build zone” policy.

“Some local government units are prohibiting the fishermen from going back to their dwelling areas. We call on the concerned government agencies to issue guidelines on the no-dwelling zone to prevent further displacement of fisherfolk,” Calvan said.

Six months after Yolanda, the government has not responded fully to the needs of the typhoon survivors, said Gerry Arances, national coordinator of the Philippine Movement for Climate Justice.                                    

“The government is pushing for a corporate-led, business-as-usual approach, thus further dividing the rich and the poor,” he said.

Lidy Nacpil, regional coordinator of Jubilee South Asia Pacific, said the government should not ignore the IPCC report.