The Climate Change Commission (CCC) met with the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Manila to explore areas of collaboration on nature-based solutions (NBS) for climate adaptation and mitigation. MANILA, Philippines – The Climate Change Commission (CCC), led by Vice Chairperson and Executive Director Robert E.A. Borje, and the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, led by Ambassador Marielle Geraedts, are exploring ways to advance nature-based solutions (NBS) as a key strategy for climate change adaptation and mitigation. At a meeting held at the CCC, both parties highlighted opportunities to strengthen bilateral cooperation on climate action, particularly in scaling up ecosystems-based approaches that reduce climate risks while supporting sustainable development. “Nature-based solutions are among the most powerful and practical responses to the climate crisis. By working with ecosystems-based approaches such as protecting forests, restoring wetlands, and rehabilitating coastal areas, we not only reduce greenhouse gas emissions but also strengthen our natural defenses against climate impacts,” Borje said. Both parties identified potential areas of collaboration, including participation in ASEAN–Netherlands cross-learning initiatives on climate adaptation and NBS, aimed at facilitating the exchange of technical expertise and best practices across the region. The discussions are aligned with the Philippines’ National Adaptation Plan (NAP) 2023–2050, which identifies the scaling up of nature-based solutions as a key cross-sectoral strategy, as well as the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), which outlines the country’s commitment to greenhouse gas emissions reduction and climate resilience. The Netherlands, recognized globally for its expertise in water management, climate adaptation, and integrated, nature-based approaches to flood risk reduction, expressed its support for a strengthened partnership with the Philippines through knowledge sharing, capacity-building, and innovative solutions. The CCC underscored that strong partnerships with development partners such as the Netherlands are crucial in advancing climate action, particularly in mobilizing climate finance, technology transfer, and capacity-building support. This engagement reflects the CCC’s continuing commitment to continued collaboration among governments, development partners, and local stakeholders to accelerate the implementation of nature-based solutions in support of the country’s climate resilience and sustainable development agenda.
The Climate Change Commission takes part in the Asian Conference on Climate Change and Disaster Resilience, underscoring the need for strategic climate finance to support resilient investments across Asia. MAKATI CITY – The Climate Change Commission (CCC) emphasized the need for strategic climate finance to strengthen resilience against intensifying climate impacts across the region during the Asian Conference on Climate Change and Disaster Resilience (ACCCDR) held at the Asian Institute of Management (AIM). As climate risks continue to escalate across Asian countries, the CCC underscored that climate action must evolve into more innovative and transformative approaches that respond to emerging and complex threats. Senator Loren Legarda highlighted the critical role of anticipatory finance, stressing that investments must be made early and strategically to reduce risks before they escalate. “Anticipatory finance is not just about acting early. It is about making the right investments early so that risk is reduced at the point of design and not after failure.” “It is about the speed of the peso moving from the national treasury to a local barangay before the storm makes landfall,” she added. Echoing this, CCC Vice Chairperson and Executive Director Robert E. A. Borje emphasized that resilience begins with informed and forward-looking investments. “We must stop building and rebuilding the same risks over and over again. We must build right at first sight. Instead of repeatedly building after being destroyed, we need to invest right from the start. With best available science and data-driven planning, we can plan and implement well, ensuring that every peso spent reduces and does not reinforce risk.” Borje said. He further emphasized that climate finance must be anchored in science-based strategies. In particular, he pointed to the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) as a key policy framework that guides national and local governments in identifying vulnerabilities and directing investments where they are most needed. The NAP, developed under the leadership of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., advances a climate-smart and climate-resilient development pathway for the country by enabling targeted, data-driven adaptation measures across sectors and communities. From the local governance perspective, Assistant Secretary Lilian De Leon of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) emphasized the urgency of rethinking traditional disaster response approaches, noting the increasing pressure on frontline institutions. “Our traditional approaches to disaster management, while foundational, are no longer sufficient to keep pace with these realities. We must therefore shift not only in strategy but in mindset.” The conference served as a regional platform that brought together key stakeholders from government, academia, the private sector, and development institutions for a series of high-level panel discussions focused on climate finance, policy alignment, and resilience-building across Asia. With the theme “From Risk to Readiness: Investing in Climate Futures in Asia,” the conference gathers key stakeholders from the legislative, national, and local governments, civil society organizations, as well as the private sector and academe to advance climate finance and drive resilient investment across the region. The event was organized by the Asian Institute of Management, co-organized by the Climate Change Commission, and supported by key partners. For more information on the CCC’s climate mainstreaming activities, visit www.climate.gov.ph and www.facebook.com/CCCPhl.
Senator Loren Legarda delivers her keynote address at the Asian Conference on Climate Change and Disaster Resilience, emphasizing the crucial role of anticipatory climate action. MAKATI CITY – The Climate Change Commission (CCC) and Senator Loren Legarda both emphasized the importance of stronger anticipatory action legislation to strengthen resilience and preparedness against the impacts of climate change and protect vulnerable communities. In her keynote speech at the Asian Conference on Climate Change and Disaster Resilience, Legarda underscored that policy reforms must shift climate governance from reactive disaster response toward systems that enable early and science-based action, particularly through institutionalized financing and preparedness mechanisms. “We must tear down the firewall between ‘relief’ and ‘readiness.’ Our national budget has long treated climate finance as a post-mortem expense. We allocate billions for after, but pennies for just before. We need to activate resources for anticipatory use.” Legarda stressed that legislative innovation must play a central role in advancing anticipatory response, ensuring that communities and other vulnerable groups are better equipped before disasters strike. “I propose that we move toward a model of 'Conditional Early Action." This means pre-positioning funds in the accounts of local governments—not for rebuilding schools, but for retrofitting them.” “And we need to recognize that vulnerability is not uniform. Women, indigenous communities, the elderly, the PWDs, and those in geographically isolated areas face differentiated and compounded risks. Anticipatory finance must be redesigned to reach them first and not last,” Legarda said. CCC Vice Chairperson and Executive Director Robert E.A. Borje also emphasized that anticipatory climate action means that we should not think about how often we can rebuild, but how we rarely are destroyed. “We must stop building and rebuilding the same risks over and over again. We must build right at first sight. Instead of repeatedly building after being destroyed, we need to invest right from the start. With best available science and data-driven planning, we can plan and implement well, ensuring that every peso spent reduces and does not reinforce risk,” Borje said. A long-time climate champion, Legarda authored key pieces of legislation that form the backbone of the country’s climate and disaster risk governance, including the Climate Change Act of 2009, the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010, and the People’s Survival Fund Act. The conference convened representatives from government agencies, academic institutions, the private sector, and civil society. International development organizations – including the Embassy of France, World Bank, Asian Development Bank, and regional DRM practitioners – were also present to exchange insights and advance collaboration on climate finance, policy coherence, and resilience-building efforts across Asia. Carrying the theme “From Risk to Readiness: Investing in Climate Futures in Asia,” the event aimed to strengthen partnerships and mobilize investments that support climate-resilient development. For more information on the CCC’s climate mainstreaming activities, visit www.climate.gov.ph and www.facebook.com/CCCPhl.
The Climate Change Commission (CCC) and the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF) have formalized a strategic partnership to strengthen the accessibility of climate information through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on 04 May 2026. MANILA, Philippines | 5 May 2026 – The Climate Change Commission (CCC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF), reinforcing a partnership that strengthens the accessibility of climate information. Recognizing that the climate crisis is both a scientific and societal challenge, the partnership underscores the need to communicate climate information in ways that are clear, relatable, and grounded in the languages of Filipino communities. CCC Vice Chairperson and Executive Director Robert E.A. Borje highlighted the significance of the joint work between the Commission and KWF, citing that KWF is a critical ally in the fight against the climate crisis. “Ang KWF ay mahalagang kaagapay ng CCC sa adbokasiya ng aksyong pang-klima at sa pagtugon sa krisis na kaakibat ng nagbabagong klima,” Borje said. “Bagama't unibersal ang datos at siyensya ng pagbabago ng klima, ang pagpapabatid ng mga epekto nito ay dapat na lokal, inklusibo, at higit sa lahat ay naiintindihan ng bawat isang mamamayan mula sa iba’t ibang antas ng lipunan.” Borje emphasized that the initiative supports the implementation of key national frameworks, including the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) built under the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., by strengthening climate literacy and enabling more effective local action. “Ang ganitong teknikal na dokumento ay nangangailangan ng koordinasyon sa inyong institusyon upang masiguro na napapanatili nito ang linguistic inclusivity. Dito nagtatagpo ang dalawang tungkulin: ang CCC sa pagbibigay-linaw sa panganib at direksyon ng patakaran, at ang KWF sa pagtiyak na ito ay nauunawaan at nagiging bahagi ng buhay ng bawat Pilipino,” he added. Affirming this, KWF Chairperson Atty. Marites A. Barrios-Taran highlighted the critical role of language in nation-building and climate action. “Ang ating wika ay dapat na nagsisilbi sa tao. Ang Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino ay itinatag hindi lamang upang maging bantay ng balarila o tagasuri ng mga salita; ang ating serbisyo ay kailangang nakararating sa mga mamamayan,” Atty. Barrios-Taran expressed. The partnership also sets the stage for sustained collaboration between the two agencies, including the joint development of communication materials, conduct of capacity-building activities, and co-creation of campaigns that utilize the best available scientific data using national and regional languages. The partnership reflects a whole-of-government approach to climate action, integrating scientific knowledge with cultural and linguistic inclusivity to build a more climate-resilient Philippines. The CCC remains steadfast in engaging with various sectors to advance climate action domestically and globally, reaffirming its commitment to building a climate-resilient and sustainable Philippines. For more information on the CCC’s climate mainstreaming activities, visit www.climate.gov.ph and www.facebook.com/CCCPhl.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. delivered a message at the inaugural session of the ASEAN Climate Week, highlighting a whole-of-system approach in confronting the global crisis. The Climate Change Commission (CCC) also joined the event and participated in the high-level panel discussion conducted via Zoom. MANILA, Philippines — During the inaugural session of the ASEAN Climate Week on Monday, Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. highlighted that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), through a whole-of-system approach and strengthened collaboration, holds the resolve to confront the global crisis. “ASEAN stands at the frontlines of the global climate crisis, as stronger storms, rising seas, prolonged droughts, and devastating floods have become realities for millions across the southeast asian region.“ Marcos added, “Confronting these challenges is our shared responsibility and ASEAN has shown that through cooperation, we can overcome common problems with our collective purpose and resolve.” Reiterating President Marcos’ message, the Climate Change Commission (CCC) also underscored an integrated, whole-of-system approach to ensure long-term resilience and economic stability during the inaugural session. The CCC recognized ASEAN as a key platform for strengthening coordination and partnerships to address the global climate crisis. CCC Vice Chairperson and Executive Director Robert E.A. Borje emphasized that addressing climate risks requires a shift from fragmented responses toward more integrated and coordinated systems across the region. “The Philippines approaches this challenge with the recognition that climate risks, economic stability, and energy systems across ASEAN are increasingly interconnected. At the same time, responses remain largely national in scope. This gap—between shared exposure and fragmented control—underscores the need for more integrated and coordinated approaches.” Borje further noted that maintaining climate ambition while ensuring resilience and stability requires aligning each priority within a coherent system that supports long-term development. The ASEAN Climate Week, which is being held from April 27 to May 1, aims to advance Nationally Determined Contributions, strengthen climate action through high-level dialogues, technical exchanges, and targeted training across ASEAN. Held for the first time and hosted by the Philippines, the ASEAN Climate Week underscores the country’s role in advancing regional climate leadership and deepening collaboration among ASEAN Member States in addressing interconnected climate, energy, and development challenges. For more information on the CCC’s climate mainstreaming activities, visit www.climate.gov.ph and www.facebook.com/CCCPhl.
