LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines—Various national media organizations on Friday presented to President Benigno Aquino a four-page media declaration which emphasized that access to relevant information on climate change is vital to sustaining a living planet and ensure the survival of human beings.
Hundreds of media representatives from across the country, who attended the three-day conference that started November 24, pledged a concerted effort to “catalyze public awareness and pursue a nationwide advocacy for climate change adaptation and mitigation.”
Herminio “Sonny” Coloma, Jr., secretary of the Presidential Communications Operations Office turned over the “Philippine Media Declaration on Climate Change” to the President during the First National Media Conference on Climate Change Adaptation held at the Bicol University amphitheater here.
Officials of the National Press Club of the Philippines, Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas, Publishers Association of the Philippines, Foreign Correspondent Association of the Philippines and the Philippine Network of Environmental Journalist signed the media declaration.
Coloma said “an increased public understanding of the urgency of climate change is essential to mitigate its negative impacts and to avert human suffering.”
He said media institutions recognize that the information provided by media plays a critical role in stimulating policy debate and in mobilizing knowledge to empower societies to make informed decisions on options for mitigation and adaptation.
At the conference, print and broadcast journalists agreed to share and disseminate climate change information and hold training sessions on Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction.
They vowed to promote regional and international collaboration among all media organizations for the enrichment of climate change reporting and skills enhancement of media practitioners through training and exchange of knowledge and best practices.
The media men urged Mr. Aquino to incorporate media participation in the National Climate Change Action Plans and provide funds for media campaigns and training.
The President flew to this city to keynote the conference sponsored by Albay Gov. Joey Salceda, an international advocate on CCA.
Wearing a yellow shirt and blue denim pants, Mr. Aquino also unveiled the marker which formally opened the first climate change academy at the Bicol University compound.
Salceda said the the Albay Climate Change Academy is the first among CCA educational institutions in the country to train local planners, decision and policy makers and other sectoral agencies on skills and competencies on disaster risk reduction.
The provincial government has spent P10 million to spruce up the two-story building that would house the academy at the BU compound.
On the first day of the conference, Environment Secretary Ramon Paje pledged to give a P5-million fund to finance the initial operation of the academy.
Meanwhile, Dr. Flaviana Hilario of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration noted that tropical cyclone events have significantly increased in the country.
She said that of the 1,054 tropical cyclones that developed yearly worldwide, 70 percent or 738 pass through the Philippine area of responsibility. Of this number, about 19 to 20 tropical cyclones hit the Philippines every year.
During unveiling rites for the academy, Spanish ambassador to the Philippines Jorge Domecq cited how the Philippines has shown its leadership in acting against climate change.
He said the Philippines “is indeed considered as a role model in the Asia-Pacific region in terms of governance for climate change at central and local levels.”
Domecq said Spain supports efforts of the Philippine government to effectively develop coping mechanisms for climate change through the Joint Spain-Philippines-UN program “Enhancing Capacity to Adapt to Climate Change” for the years 2008-2011.
He added that local governments will improve their resiliency and protection against natural disasters with the establishment of the academy, which is “envisioned to be a repository of knowledge and expertise on local adaptation practices and a venue for the dissemination of best practices in the country and in the Asia-Pacific region.”