Climate Change (Act) NOW!

RT: Climate Change Act set for signing

MANILA, Philippines - President Arroyo will sign into law on Oct. 30 a bill establishing a strategy for dealing with climate change.

The scheduled signing of the Climate Change Act of 2009 will come less than two months after Congress approved the measure and weeks after tropical storm “Ondoy” and typhoon “Pepeng” devastated many parts of Luzon.

The administration has been blaming climate change for the devastation.

Mrs. Arroyo announced her decision to sign the measure at yesterday’s Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) meeting at Malacañang.

In the meeting, the President also pushed for the passage of the Disaster Risk Reduction, Management and Recovery Act, which has been passed by the Senate but is still being debated on at the House of Representatives.

Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said the House leadership has committed to work on the bill and have it ready for deliberation at the bicameral conference committee at the resumption of regular session next month.

Sen. Edgardo Angara, who was at the LEDAC meeting, said that a review of the Senate’s version of the bill should also be made, taking into account the country’s experience during Ondoy and Pepeng.

Remonde said the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) and other concerned groups will join the bicameral conference committee meetings to share inputs.

Under the Climate Change Act, a Climate Change Commission would be created, chaired by the President and composed of Cabinet secretaries as well as leaders of different sectors.

Relevant government agencies and local government units would be required to allocate a portion of their budgets for the formulation, development and implementation of climate change programs.

A joint congressional oversight committee would also be created to monitor the implementation of the law.

The existing Presidential Task Force on Climate Change and the Inter-agency Committee on Climate Change would be abolished once the law is implemented.

Under the proposed Disaster Risk Reduction, Management and Recovery Act, the NDCC would be transformed into a new body with greater powers in handling natural and man-made disasters. – Marvin Sy

The Philippine Star
Updated October 16, 2009 12:00 AM

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This is just a start. I hope we'd all be putting our efforts on acting effectively on climate change. This Climate Change Act, i hope, would not be another wasted paper.