Enveloped with a sense of elation and urgency, I rise to share with you, my fellow legislators, our recent triumphs in moving the international community to reexamine the climate change agenda. But before I do so, however, let me first backtrack a bit.

For more than two decades now, the world has been grappling with the issues of climate change and disaster risk reduction. As we have witnessed within the confines of our own territory as well as in the experience of our neighbors, the unraveling of climate change effects has resulted in disasters of unprecedented proportions, causing multiple losses—economic, social, political and even cultural. Being peculiarly located in a natural disaster-prone zone, the Philippines has incurred enormous losses brought about by various calamities such as earthquakes, typhoons, and droughts. Our neighbors China and Japan also lost billions of dollars to snowstorms and earthquake. We were likewise baffled by the way Hurricane Katrina and the Indian Ocean Tsunami ravished the livelihood of countless families and communities. The drawback on the national economy cannot be underestimated.

What is immensely disturbing—and in fact unpardonable—however, is that every time a disaster strikes, the already vulnerable segments of society, like the poor, the women, and the children—are the most severely affected and rendered even more helpless. Yet, despite the obvious interconnection among climate change, disaster risk reduction, poverty, and sustainable development, we have contented ourselves with reactionary, piecemeal, and often incoherent and insufficient responses and strategies. We address each disaster occurrence by distributing relief goods, which is of course needed, but this type of response is much like that age-old remedy of coating a leaking pipe with a sealant when what is actually needed is a new and more durable rust-proof pipe that could withstand the next surge of water. It simply will not do anymore. The need to develop a new global legal framework for disaster risk reduction vis-à-vis climate change adaptation could no longer be ignored. It is time to disaster-proof and climate change-proof our people, livelihoods, and national economic agenda.

I am pleased to say that through the Philippines’ leadership, we have steered this novel discourse to the forefront. This is one of the triumphs I am proud to share with you today. A couple of weeks ago, I, in partnership with the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, convened the “Roundtable Consultative Meeting for Parliamentarians: Disaster Risk Reduction as a Tool for Adapting to Climate Change.” Ten Parliamentarians from nine nations gathered in Manila to discuss how to create an enabling environment for promoting disaster risk reduction, to mainstream it into socioeconomic development, and make it a national and international priority. Appreciating the need for immediate implementation of these strategies, the Parliamentarians came up with The Manila Call for Action of Parliamentarians on Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation.

In this statement, the Parliamentarians present made various commitments. As an immediate course of action, we promised to report on the outcome of the meeting to our respective Parliaments. This is why I have come before you today—to impart the lessons and consensuses of this two-day high-level caucus and implore your cooperation and active participation in realizing the goals of climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction, poverty reduction, and human security, as components of the higher goal of sustainable development for all.

Acknowledging that this cause requires international cooperation, we also called on fellow parliamentarians around the world and on all Governments to take pro-active steps in reducing disaster risks and adapting to climate change. On the part of each Parliamentarian present, we also committed to advocate for policy changes that advance disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation at national and international levels and to propose national legislation that mainstreams gender-sensitive disaster risk reduction in national and regional development plans. Recognizing the value of the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-2015 which was adopted by 168 countries as a guide for effective disaster reduction at national level, the Parliamentarians likewise undertook to look into the compliance of our respective Governments with our Hyogo commitments. Finally, we arrived at a consensus to call on the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the United Nations to work together in developing and elaborating an international legal framework to secure the synergy between disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation.

Shortly after this Consultative Meeting, the Global Congress of Women in Politics and Governance was also held in Manila. In this congress which emphasized gender issues in climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction, 260 policy and decision makers and experts all over the world perceived the unique impact of environmental degradation and climate change on women. Based on a consensus that gender should be mainstreamed into disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation, The Manila Declaration for Global Action on Gender, Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction calls on governments to comply with international commitments on gender equality and to pursue gender-responsive plans and strategies.

Following these international conferences in Manila, I had the honor of representing the Philippines at the United Nations General Assembly. At the Plenary Session of the Second Committee (Economic and Financial), the Philippines confirmed its commitments to the Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Kyoto Protocol and the Bali Plan of Action. We showed the international community how seriously the Philippines has taken its pledge to protect the environment within the framework of sustainable development. For indeed we have passed landmark legislation such as the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and the National Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, which have all been equally instrumental in promoting the goals of Agenda 21 and sustainable development in our country. As we warned the world to guard against the slipping of the climate change agenda behind the financial meltdown now gripping the globe, we urged the international community to continue to reexamine our climate change adaptation strategies against developing realities and adjust our responses accordingly.

Subsequent to the Plenary Session of the Second Committee, I also had the privilege of representing the Philippines at the UN Economic and Social Council. In this forum, we reiterated the Philippines’ position on cross-cutting issues such as climate change, the gender gap and the food crisis—all of which are challenges faced by developing nations. We emphasized the exigency of finding quick, coherent, comprehensive and coordinated responses to the multi-dimensional and often inter-related effects of these problems. As the Philippines is the only Asian country in the top ten of the Global Gender Gap index based on the World Economic Forum ranking, we led the call for the inclusion of gender components in formulating responses to current global crises. In the climate change discourse, we reiterated the need to shift the focus from mere mitigation to adaptation. We believe that it is crucial to address all these issues if we are to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.

These events formed a chain of triumphs which in turn caused rippling effects in the climate change dialogue. I am proud to say that the Philippines is instrumental in this development. It has been a torchbearer in catalyzing much-needed progress in the climate change agenda and sustainable development goals. From the beginning, the Philippines has played a key role in shaping the implementation of very significant international instruments such as the UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol and it continues to do so. In the past month, it heralded a paradigm shift in disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation. It is because of all of these that I stand here with much jubilation. However, as I said in the beginning of this discourse, I also come before you with a sense of urgency. The accomplishments I have just recounted are accompanied by a desperate call for immediate action. We cannot be satisfied by what we have achieved so far. Thus, in fulfillment of my own commitment to The Manila Call for Action of Parliamentarians on Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation, I echo and join the supplications to prioritize and mainstream disaster risk reduction and to pass legislation that would ensure the integration and implementation of these policies.

As parliamentarians, we have the all-important role of incorporating a strategic framework into legislation that combines disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation. The Philippines needs a comprehensive, coherent, pro-active, gender sensitive strategy and the responsibility of crafting this falls upon us legislators. In this regard, I applaud the legislative initiatives of my esteemed colleagues Senators Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Gregorio Honasan, Jinggoy Estrada, Dick Gordon, Bong Revilla, Manny Villar and Miguel Zubiri aimed at improving our current policies on disaster management and reorganizing the National Disaster Management Council. As you also know, this Representation has also sponsored the Climate Change Bill, which I hope for this body’s full cooperation in passing this measure into law soon. While there are differing provisions in these proposed bills, there are important points of convergence which are worth exploring. I hope that we can all work together and come up with a legal regime that is responsive and would insulate our people from disaster as far as possible. In this connection, we must also ensure that our Government is indeed complying with the Hyogo Framework for Action.

I also resound the call for allocation of more resources and utilization of existing resources for disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation. Policies unfortunately are not enough; we need to fuel these policies with funds to support their implementation. We can be rest assured that our investment in this cause will not only yield returns but also prevent huge losses resulting from disasters.

I also appeal to all local government units to participate actively in this cause. This endeavor requires multi-level and heavy stakeholder involvement. We need to coordinate all our efforts at all fronts to be able to deliver effective, efficient, and adequate responses.

My fellow Parliamentarians, these are the pressing needs of our time. Needless to say, the actions called for in the Manila Call are certainly not exhaustive; and I encourage the bright minds of this Chamber to put forward other innovative ideas that would catapult us closer to our objectives. Much has to be done and as with all worthwhile causes, the challenges are multiple. In this case, the challenges spring both from within, that is, how to realize these changes, and from without, that is, all the other problems competing for our attention. The current financial crisis, for one, demands our immediate action and there is no question we must heed this demand. However, climate change and disaster risk reduction equally deserve our commitment. In order to preserve what we have achieved so far, we have to remain focused and continue to pour our efforts to advance this cause. We need to do this—not only for ourselves but for all the generations to come. Every disaster sets us back and if we fail to act now, we might not be able to keep up, and the next time we blink, there might no longer be anything left to save. The opportunity we have now to change the current course and safeguard the future is providential; let us not squander it. Let not our grandchildren and great grandchildren say that we destroyed their future long before they were even born.