Group tags P100-billion ‘climate change-related’ funds in 2012 budget

A total of P100 billion has been tagged by budget  activists in the 2012 National Expenditure Program as potential climate change-related funds which can be used to strengthen the country’s institutional capacity to adapt to climate change next year.

Jonathan Ronquillo, environment campaigner of the La Liga Policy Institute (La Liga) said the total amount was tagged from different budget line items across 14 different departments, agencies and bureaus with climate change mandates.

The group believes that such budget should be released on time, and used according to their purpose, to strengthen the country’s adaptive and coping capacity to the worse type of natural and man-made disasters.

“Tagging the climate change-related fund in the annual appropriation gives citizens organizations and national line agencies a guide and handle as to how much funds can be tapped or be made available in the NEP for allocation that will finance the implementation of the National Climate Change Action Plan,” Ronquillo explained.

The group issued the statement as Typhoon Pedring wrought havoc last week.

According to Ronquillo, the budget tagged by the group provides an important indicator for local
governments to understand how much funds for climate change initiatives and programs are allocated in the 2012 NEP, which they can maximize as possible sources to co-finance LGU-initiated local environment projects.

For DRR, the group tagged a total of P143.6; P 15.58 billion for Sustainable Agriculture, Fisheries
and Forestry; P759.27 million for Renewable Energy; P9.36 billion for Clean and Green Industrial Technology; P1 billion for contingency and P36 billion from the impounded budget or unreleased fund representing 2010 and 2011.

Ronquillo explained that climate change mandates include plans, programs and activities related to various adaptation and mitigation measures, including disaster risk reduction.

According to Ronquillo, La Liga, after a thorough research was able to identify these budget line items that are included in the NEP submitted by Malacañang to Congress for 2012.

“If properly utilized, this budget can be an instrument in strategically addressing the vulnerability of the Philippines to disasters, especially when the country is faced with the worse impacts of climate change,” Ronquillo pointed out.

La Liga, the convening organization of the Environment Cluster of the Alternative Budget Initiative (ABI) and Caucus to Green the MTPDP started budget-tagging last year, to determine a basic baseline on public finance for climate change.

According to Ronquillo, the “tagging” was also adopted by the Climate Change Commission (CCC) in determining the level of government-led climate financing in the processes to develop the National Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAP).

La Liga urged Budget Secretary Butch Abad and Environment Secretary Ramon Paje, who is also the head of the cabinet cluster on climate change, as well as Secretary Lucille Sering of CCC, the over-all coordinating body when it comes to climate change, to initiate coordination efforts to ensure the accountability of climate change-related funds and ensure participation of, and cooperation with citizens groups for climate change budget execution, monitoring and tracking. –La Liga Policy Institute, Manila Times