Photo from the DENR
MANILA, Philippines — Environment Secretary Antonia Loyzaga urged the youth to participate in the effort to solve the climate crisis.
During the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Earth Day celebration, Loyzaga told students from different schools that they need the youth to take part in solving climate change problems.
“We are in the middle of an emergency – the climate crisis. What we need to do with you, the youth is to become part of the solution,” Loyzaga said in a statement on Friday.
“Every fraction of every degree counts and we all need to work together to prevent even that fraction of a degree of increase, in terms of our temperatures,” she added.
More than 150 teachers and students from various schools in Metro Manila attended the said event, including the University of the Philippines – Diliman, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, and Ramon Magsaysay High School.
“We all have the ability to make a difference, influence our country’s fight against the impacts of climate change, and the degradation of our environment,” Loyzaga said.
In the celebration, students joined a poster-making contest to share their vision of a “livable environment,” while teachers were given time to share their hopes for the department.
“Today is an opportunity for us to accelerate, speed up our climate action by showcasing all of our ideas, initiatives and solutions to achieve our country’s resilience on climate change and other hazards,” Loyzaga noted.
Earth Day is celebrated every April 22 in the country under Proclamation No. 1481 signed by former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in 2008.
— Aliah Gumasing, INQUIRER.net trainee