Climate Change Consciousness Week

The Philippines, on global television, has become a vivid victim of climate change disasters with the serial onslaught of super typhoons Ondoy, Pepeng, Santi. There are forecasts of more ferocious storms to come. More than ever, the observance of Climate Change Consciousness Week, November 19-25 declared by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo becomes very urgent and relevant to forge the collective will to respond to the perils of global warming and the crucial need to mitigate, and adapt to climate change including disaster risk management.

A Multi-Media Summit on Climate Change will be held on the 20th at Malacanang Ceremonial Hall organized by the Presidential Task Force chaired by the President herself and coordinated through the office of the Presidential Adviser on Climate Change and Global Warming led by Secretary Heherson Alvarez.

There are 2 foreign guests invited: The Minister of Culture from Palau, Madame Faustina K. Rehuher-Marugg who will provide a portrait of the frightening reality of vulnerability of a small island state in the Pacific and Mr. John Topping, a noted environment author and president of Climate Institute. Mr. Topping has jumpstarted the Tickell High Altitude Observatory in Mexico with outreach network to museums, parks and educational institutions through multi-media briefing where the philosophy is to generate pride on leading in climate solutions rather than inducing guilt and getting paralyzed with fear.

Secretary Heherson Alvarez is working out a parallel system for the Philippines in cooperation with Secretary Emmanuel Angeles of CHED, Secretary Lapus of Dep-Ed and NCCA Chairman Vilma Labrador with appropriate departments like DENR, DOST and the NDCC to extend the concept of a climate and development knowledge network in the Philippines harnessing among others the Climate Alert Resource on “identifying means of greatly reducing radiative forcing and saving lives from air pollution through reductions of soot and the heat trapping black carbon it contains and other innovations to respond to the problem”.

The Presidential proclamation 1667 calls on “all agencies, Government offices, and instrumentalities to collaborate in coordination with the private sector, and in liaison with the United Nations family to conduct and participate in relevant activities.”

The President who is standing up as a strong voice championing the cause for archipelagic and small island states, rightly points out that “The warming of the earth’s surface is undermining our national food, health and energy security, and therefore requires broad and intensive information and educational campaign to impress on the general public the awesome and terrifying consequences of this phenomenon and to secure the collective cooperation of the population in finding solutions to it”.

Media with the schools engaging all stakeholders in a multi-sectoral strategy on Climate Change, is a basic pillar for this task with the support of the business sector and the church. At SM North EDSA, an exhibit of good practices on material recovery facilities will be on display starting today at 12 noon. Printings on Climate Change will be on exhibit at the NCCA Gallery by Joel Pragas from Isabela State University with collective works by The Arts Association of the Philippines. (AAP) Culture is an essential dynamic tool for informing, communicating, motivating and involving citizen participation. The Media Summit to be held tomorrow from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. is a laudable, crucial initiative. Youth involvement is imperative. Therefore, we welcome the entry of a sensitive actor-host, Alfred Vargas as a Climate Change advocate from the entertainment industry. May his tribe increase. Only an interdisciplinary approach bringing together expertise in communications, culture, education and the sciences linked to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change can achieve the 7th Millennium Development Goal of Environmental Sustainability.

Watch the 3 hour Sining Gising Special on Sunday at NBN 4, Sunday from 3 to 6 p.m. It will serve as a creative classroom on a survival issue for Mother Earth and mankind. The NCCA Cultural Communications Plan will likewise be aired on DZRH, Radyo Balintataw at 8:00 to 8:45 p.m., co-hosted by Cecile Guidote-Alvarez and Bel Cunanan. –=Alejandro R. Roces (The Philippine Star)