Philippine Congress creates climate change adaptation fund

Business World Online (Philippines): At the last day of the second regular session, Congress passed a measure creating a local climate change adaptation fund amid intensifying typhoons and storms in the country. Ratified by the Senate and House of Representatives on Wednesday was Senate Bill (SB) 2811 or the People’s Survival Fund, one of the world’s first climate change adaptation funds, a press statement released on Friday showed.

“I am pleased that both houses of Congress saw the importance of the People’s Survival Fund, which will complement the Climate Change Law by helping achieve its objectives through provision of funds to local governments and communities for their climate change adaptation programs,” Senator Loren B. Legarda, climate change committee chair, was quoted as saying in a statement.

The measure is now up for submission to Malacañang for signing into law. If enacted into law, the People’s Survival Fund will bankroll local governments’ adaptation activities like land and water resources management, agriculture and fisheries, and health and natural ecosystems development, the bill states.

Projects to be implemented should be in line with the government’s climate adaptation plan listed under the National Strategic Framework on Climate Change, it added.  “There is no substitute for national and local government budgets that are climate change-adaptive. The measure will allow us to pole-vault toward ensuring disaster- and climate change-resilient communities,” Ms. Legarda said....