14-07-2025
Legarda urges countries prone to climate change to update policies
A fishpond owner walks on a dried fishpond in Laur, Nueva Ecija on Saturday, April 27, 2024, as extreme heat brought about by El Niño caused some owners to stop operations. The Department of Agriculture earlier said that damage from El Niño has reached around P3.34 billion. DANNY PATA
Senator Loren Legarda on Monday called on climate-vulnerable countries, including the Philippines, to update their laws and policies and push for better actions towards climate action and cultural preservation.
At a high-level meeting of the Climate Vulnerable Forum and V20 Finance Ministers (CVF-V20), Legarda said extreme heat alone could cost the Philippines an estimated P466 billion annually by 2030.
'Climate change endangers all that you see and so much more. Climate change imperils not only lives and livelihoods, it threatens to erase who we are,' the senator said.
'It is this understanding that demands we broaden our definition of risk to fully encompass the cultural well-being of our people,' she added.
Legarda further pointed out policymakers must ensure that laws in their country reflect their commitment to both climate action and cultural preservation.
She also called on colleagues in the Philippine Congress to fully implement the climate prosperity plan.
'Let our collective efforts safeguard our precious cultural treasures, empower our resilient communities, and build a sustainable future for all Filipinos,' Legarda said.
The CVF-V20 is a coalition of 74 countries highly vulnerable to a warming planet, including Bangladesh, Ghana, Sri Lanka, Barbados, and the Philippines. — LA, GMA Integrated News
