MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Wednesday gave assurance that the country’s resiliency and adaptation to the new normals of climate change are on top of his administration’s national agenda.
In his speech at the Department of Environment’s (DENR) multi-stakeholder forum, Marcos described the effects of climate change as the world’s “first truly global crisis” pointing out that every single citizen worldwide is affected.
He also noted that mitigating and adapting to climate change will “take the assistance, the help, the understanding of every citizen of the world.”
“As your president, I assure you that our environment and our country’s resiliency and adaptation to the new normals of climate change are on top of the national agenda,” Marcos said.
“We ensure that the initiatives we will take will enable us to become smarter, more responsible, more sustainable in all that we do,” he added.
He said he is glad about the DENR’s initiative to hold a multi-stakeholder forum to discuss measures to protect, conserve and manage the country’s environment.
It also gives the country hope that it has the “expertise, commitment, determination to steer our practices and systems towards a greener direction.”
“I look forward to seeing the activities ahead generate fruitful discussions that will harmonize the policy agenda of the DENR under this administration and together with our private sector partners, with all the agencies in government, once again, it requires the help, the assistance, the understanding, and commitment of every single sector of every single society,” Marcos said.
He also said he expects that the government will be able to accelerate DENR’s mission to mobilize resources to preserve, conserve, and manage the environment.
“I am confident we will be able to have these dialogues amongst all stakeholders and in that dialogue, let us identify each sector’s unique and shared challenges, bolster cooperation and gather information and priorities for possible inclusion in the DENR’s policy agenda and to be included in the multiyear roadmap for programs, activities, and projects,” the President said.
He also noted that combating climate change is a “battle we must wage and a battle that we must win.”
“In this collective fight, we are not soldiers, we are stewards. There will be no weapons to use, only behaviors and practices to improve upon,” Marcos said.
“And triumphant will we be when we’ll realize that our children will have clean air to breathe, safe water to drink, and lands and oceans not only to explore but also to responsibly harness for their sake and for the good of all Filipinos and for all humanity,” he added.