PHILIPPINE GREEN PARTY (PARTIDO KALIKASAN) NEEDS YOU!

Dear Party Supporters,

We are now recruiting coordinators for the Party!

City/Town Coordinators for Partido Kalikasan (PK) can serve two purposes for the Party. In the long-term, it is to build the core group of the Party in forming our basic EcoSystem Chapters and eventually the Bio-Regional Assemblies. In the immediate, it is to build the organizational structure of the Party necessary for to prove our capacity to operate as a national political party. The latter is important as we file our petition for accreditation as a national political party this January 2012.

The coming together of various city/town coordinators into legislative district-level core groups will also form the basis for the local Governance Committees which will be mobilized as the main electoral campaigning machinery in 2012 through 2013 election process.


The target is to recruit coordinators from at least 61 cities and 756 municipalities which represent 50% of all cities and towns all over the country. We currently cover less than 200 cities and towns in 17 provinces nationwide.

In the meantime, we will already be circulating to all our members and supporters the directory if PK City/Town Coordinators to ask everyone interested to sign up.

May I request everyone to please sign up yourselves to the appropriate city/town that you will be accountable for in building Partido Kalikasan.

You can do that in this online excel form: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AsKNNw1B4HW0dGxtYXFOT2VUMWZtLS1VajdhU2Y5Q3c.

If you are having difficulty using the online excel form, kindly just email us at partidokalikasan@yahoo.com the following information:

City/Town: ____________
Province: ______________
Full Name (First, MI, Last): __________________
Home Address: _______________________
Mobile Phone: ________________________
Email: __________________________
Occupation: _____________________
Birthday: _________________________

Thanks!

PK National Secretariat

RISK Award launched at the Global Platform for Disaster Reduction

The first RISK Award was launched during the 3rd Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in Geneva this year. For the first time, the Global Risk Forum, Munich Re Foundation, and United Nations Secretariat for the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) decided to join forces and offer a €100,000 award. The award will support the most promising proposal in risk reduction and disaster management. The award will be handed over at GRF Davos' biennial IDRC Davos conferences – for the first time on 26 August 2012 at the 4th IDRC Davos 2012.

The objective of the RISK Award is to increase people’s resilience to risks and disasters, especially in developing countries. A further objective is to stimulate new and innovative approaches towards improved disaster prevention.

The first 2012 award will focus on Early Warning in Urban Areas. Deadline is on 31 December 2011.

To apply to the Risk Award please download the proposal form at www.risk-award.org and send the complete form by 31 December 2011 to info@munichre-foundation.org

Also find additional information on the RISK Award on the Munich Re Foundation website www.munichre-foundation.org.

Record-high greenhouse gases to linger for decades —UN

By Tom Miles

Source: GMA News at http://www.gmanews.tv/story/239253/technology/record-high-greenhouse-gases-to-linger-for-decades-un(Viewed on 22 November 2011).

GENEVA - Concentrations of the three main greenhouse gases blamed for global warming reached record levels in 2010 and will linger in the atmosphere for decades, even if the world stops emissions output today, the U.N.'s weather agency said on Monday.

Carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas, rose by 2.3 parts per million to 389 ppm in 2010 from the previous year, higher than the 1990s average (1.5 ppm) and the past decade (2.0 ppm), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said in its annual Greenhouse Gas Bulletin.

If the world is to limit global average temperature rise to below 2 degrees Celsius, scientists say emissions volumes must not have more than 450 ppm of carbon dioxide.

"The atmospheric burden of greenhouse gases due to human activities has yet again reached record levels since pre-industrial time," said WMO Secretary-General Michel Jarraud.

"Even if we managed to halt our greenhouse gas emissions today, and this is far from the case, they would continue to linger in the atmosphere for decades to come and so continue to affect the delicate balance of our living planet and our climate," he said.

The report adds to a number of warnings that time is running out to act on climate change and prevent worsening extreme weather as the Earth's temperature rises.

BP data earlier this year showed global carbon dioxide emissions grew at their fastest rate since 1969 last year, as countries rebounded from economic recession.

In 2010, countries agreed in Cancun, Mexico, that deep emissions cuts were needed to hold an increase in global average temperature below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, a threshold beyond which scientists say risks even more extreme weather, crop failure and major floods.

Delegates from nearly 200 countries will meet in South Africa next week for a U.N. summit but only modest steps towards a broader climate deal are seen as likely.

HOTTING UP

The WMO said greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere increased by 1.4 percent last year from 2009 and 29 percent since 1990, mainly driven by fossil fuel use and agriculture.

The WMO measured the overall amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, based on monitoring stations in more than 50 countries, including natural emissions and absorption processes - so-called sources and sinks - as well as emissions caused by human activity.

Three of the most dangerous gases, carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide, were more prevalent in the atmosphere in 2010 than at any time since the industrial revolution.

The second biggest greenhouse gas, methane, has been growing in the past five years after levelling off between 2000 and 2006, for reasons that are not fully understood.

The third biggest greenhouse gas is nitrous oxide, which can trap almost 300 times as much heat as carbon dioxide. Its main human source is the use of nitrogen-based fertilisers, which the report said had "profoundly affected the global nitrogen cycle".

The impact of fertiliser use is so marked that more nitrous oxide is detected in the northern hemisphere, where more fertiliser is used, than in the south.

The WMO data showed no pause in the growth of greenhouse gases and more work needs to be done to help understand which policies would have the most effect, the report's authors said.

So far, the clearest discernable impact of policies was a decrease in chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs, which were banned because they caused depletion of the ozone layer.

But hydrofluorocarbons, which have replaced CFCs, are also potent greenhouse gases and their abundance in the atmosphere, while still small, is rising at a rapid rate. — Reuters

News to Go interviews Climate Change Commission Vice-Chairman Lucille Sering

Climate change blamed for storms, flooding, drought

An inconvenient truth for Philippines: Wetter, drier
By Cathy Yamsuan, Kristine L. Alave

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer, October 3, 2011 at http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/69281/climate-change-blamed-for-storms-flooding-drought#disqus_thread

Officials have warned Filipinos to brace against the inconvenient truth of devastating storms, flooding and drought unless policies and projects are put in place to mitigate climate change.

Undersecretary Graciano Yumul of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) said that in the next 20 to 50 years, the Philippines would find “the dry seasons drier and the wet seasons wetter.”

“With the climate change scenario, we will see more of this as a frequent reality,” Yumul said in an interview. “What we used to consider as abnormal we should now consider as normal,” he noted.

Scientists describe the phenomenon as any distinct changes in weather patterns, such as temperature, rainfall, wind and snow over a long period of time.

A major factor is global warming—the increase in the oceanic and atmospheric temperatures of the planet resulting in the melting of the ice caps and the rising of the seas.

The doomsday scenarios, depicted in Al Gore’s 2006 award-winning documentary, “An Inconvenient Truth,” are now playing out in the Philippines.

The climatology division of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) has released the results of a study in 2010 concluding that climate data from 1960 to 2003 showed significant increases in the frequency of hot days and warm nights in many areas of the country.

On the other hand, Pagasa observed that cooler days had decreased. This trend mirrors the experience of other countries in Southeast Asia, Pagasa said as it predicted more rains in the Philippines in the coming decades.

“Reduction of rainfall is seen in March, April and May in most provinces, while rainfall increases are likely in Luzon and Visayas in 2020 and 2050 during the June-July-August and September-October-November seasons,” the study said.

“Greater increase in rainfall is expected in the provinces of Luzon (0.9-63 percent) and Visayas (2-22 percent) during the peak southwest monsoon period (June-July-August).”

The number of days where temperature will breach 35 degrees Celsius will also increase in 2020 and 2050, according to Pagasa models.

Fishponds

Antonio Apostol Jr., chief geologist of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau, said human activities in the regions that bore the brunt of Typhoons “Pedring” and “Quiel” that struck the country last week exacerbated the hazards and the risks.

The plains of Bulacan and Pampanga have always been prone to floods, he said.

But the proliferation of fishponds and aquaculture projects in the major waterways and in the coasts has slowed down the flow of water from the typhoons and the dams, resulting in prolonged flooding in residential and rural areas, Apostol said.

“These have a multiplier effect. So when the water was released from the dams, the natural drainage could not handle it anymore,” he said.

If there were no fishponds and garbage clogging the canals and rivers of the region, “the outflow would have been quicker,” Apostol said.

Floods and landslides will be more widespread until officials realize that they should adapt to the changes in weather and lessen their effects on the general population, Apostol and Yumul said.

“In other parts of the country, we are seeing the same situation. In the cities of Butuan and Cotabato, there were floods, too, because the rivers were clogged with water lilies,” Apostol said.

“In Cotabato, for instance, the industries pollute the river there with nitrates which induce the growth of the lilies,” he added.

Deforestation

Yumul also noted that deforestation had caused flooding in areas which did not experience it in the past. “The deforestation in the last 20, 50 years has come back to us,” he said.

Local officials, he said, should be more prepared to respond to extreme weather events to prevent the loss of lives and properties. “We’ve been telling them this for the last 10 years,” Yumul said.

Ricardo Calderon, regional executive director of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, said yesterday that forest cover in the western side of Nueva Ecija and Bulacan was still adequate. He blamed flooding on heavy rainfall, the release of dam water and high tide.

“Although our forest cover may be high, the trees could not retain the volume of water,” Calderon said.

He denied illegal logging was rampant, disputing claims by Philippine Daily Inquirer informants that local officials were collaborating with the activity.

‘Ondoy’ scenario

Senator Loren Legarda, chair of the Senate climate change committee, said she called Yumul on Saturday night to ask whether protocols in releasing water from dams in Central Luzon were observed last week.

“The undersecretary said floods will be the norm, that even if a typhoon brings a lighter volume of water, we can expect this scenario happening now with Typhoons Pedring and Quiel. He said Pedring brought only 30 percent of Ondoy’s volume and yet the damage was nearly the same,” Legarda told the Inquirer.

“That means if Tropical Storm ‘Ondoy’ happens again, a typhoon with that huge amount of rain, we have to brace for even deeper floods,” she warned.

Legarda said the confluence of events she had been warning against for years had now led to disturbing images of helpless residents waiting for help on rooftops, long lines of people queuing for potable water, and whole barangays transformed into river extensions.

Soil erosion

The senator said that illegal logging, slash-and-burn farming and quarrying in mountain areas would lead to soil erosion and flooding.

Representatives of the Central Luzon dam operators have been summoned to a hearing of the Senate on Monday afternoon.

“If (Pagasa) can predict the volume of rainfall, dam operators can already release water in increments that would not be destructive,” Legarda explained.

“If this kind of meteorological information can be determined, say, one week before a typhoon arrives, does it not make common sense that the dam operators would not release the water only on the day it finally arrives,” she asked.

She noted that dam reportedly released water on September 27, after Pedring struck.

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile cautioned that predicting rainfall would not be easy.

“The nature of calamity is that weather is really unpredictable. Who really knows if the rainfall prediction is correct? What if the amount of water released by the dams based on Pagasa’s advisory could not be recovered from the expected rains?” Enrile said.

He said that while the government could always attempt to determine accountability, “we’ll have to find long-term solutions and planning, instead of just prosecuting anybody.” With reports from Tonette Orejas and Carmela Reyes-Estrope, Inquirer Central Luzon

Definition of ‘Environmental Governance’ Revisited

Posted by Walker on Aug 1, 2011 in Environmental Governance | 0 comments

You know those moments when you are at a social event and get introduced to a stranger for the first time? It is almost inevitable thaht the conversation will turn to career and personal interests.

What do you do?

I’m a consultant and an avid enthusiast in environmental governance issues.

Wow. That sounds really (ahem) interesting! Excuse me while I bury my head in the sand.



Yes, that is the point at which my new acquaintance tends to lose interest in this new conversation. Now, I’m pretty sure it’s not me personally that causes this haze of boredom in the poor fellow’s eyes. I don’t have a monotone voice like the professor in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (played spectacularly by Ben Stein) which would cause my audience to fall asleep.

No, I’m afraid the culprit is often the words “environmental” and “governance” put together. Environmental governance. Did your eyelids just close a notch? If they did, you are not alone. It seems that environmental governance is a poorly understood topic which rarely gets discussed at parties, social gatherings, or just about anywhere for that matter. But don’t let that fool you. Environmental governance is one of the most important and crucial topics of our time. But what exactly is it?

Well, like most words in our modern lexicon, there are varying definitions of environmental governance. Is it fair to just dissect the words at their most basic, and call environmental governance the ‘process of governing the environment and those issues associated with the environment’? Well, let’s take a look at how some other use the term ‘environmental governance’:

Wallace Partners, an advisory firm, says on their website that “environmental governance is where sustainability performance and traditional corporate governance intersect”. Great! Perfect topic then, for the Convergence Journal. But this definition is actually much narrower than other definitions because it has limited the scope to corporate governance alone. Surely more other stakeholders beyond corporations have an interest and stake in how the environment is governed!

Wikipedia sums up environmental governance as “a concept in political ecology or environmental policy related to defining the elements needed to achieve sustainability.” That seems more acceptable for the academic or research associate, but in turn drops off the corporate governance aspect. And, of course, civil society… where are the people?!

On a post titled Definition of Environmental Governance, Prof. Ebinezer R. Florano of the EcoGov blog states that “There are many definitions but I found them all wanting”, and goes on to formulate a fantastic definition:

“ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE can be defined or characterized as: Multi-level interactions (i.e., local, national, international/global) among, but not limited to, three main actors, i.e., state, market, and civil society, which interact with one another, whether in formal and informal ways; in formulating and implementing policies in response to environment-related demands and inputs from the society; bound by rules, procedures, processes, and widely-accepted behavior; possessing characteristics of “good governance”; for the purpose of attaining environmentally-sustainable development.” – Prof. E.R. Florano, University of the Philippines

Of the three, I feel that Prof. Florano’s definition is by far the most accurate and complete with respect to how the term “environmental governance” is used by academics, policy makers, and the environmental community interested in governance issues. It’s ironic that Prof. Florano opened his post by confessing that he found all other definitions “wanting”; I sense that many others (you, maybe?) agree with Prof. Florano, which is part of the reason why my acquaintance at the cocktail party zoned out when the idea of environmental governance is raised — because the very sound of it (and indeed, the usage of it) — is nuanced, complex and wanting.

Still, as spot on as Prof. Florano’s definition may be, it is still complex and lengthy for the average person with no background in environmental policy. Many topics are nested in the definition: “sustainable development” (and everyone agrees on what ‘sustainable’ means, right? Wrong), “society”; “widely-accepted behavior”; and of course, “good governance”. All of these terms are rife with their own debatable definitions. Can’t we follow the straight talk of the second century Greek satirist, Lucian, and just call “a fig a fig and a boat a boat” and leave it at that? Perhaps. It would serve the environmental governance community well to proceed with a common understanding so we can excite more friends, family and community members to engage in environmental governance rather than grow weary of it. But part of the trouble in mainstreaming environmental governance, in my opinion, is that it remains a complex topic to define in layman’s terms.

Hence, I will offer a much slimmer and “easier-to-digest” definition of environmental governance which you can use at the water cooler to pique your colleagues’ interest without overwhelming them:

“Environmental governance is the way in which you or I choose to engage with communities, schools, businesses and politicians to manage the process and structure by which our natural resources and environment are used but also sustained for future generations — for our children and their children thereafter.” – Walker Young

Let’s break this definition down to its fundamental pieces.

This definition is given in ‘first person’ — notice the use of “you or I”. This is intentional, so that the controls and reigns of civil society remains with the people. Indeed, if people like “you or I” work in the businesses which power the private sector, then we too have a role to play in market-driven governance. If people like “you or I” democratically elect politicians to represent our interests, then we too have a role to play in the political process. Hence, “you or I” lets the audience know that “we” are also the drivers of environmental governance, for better or worse.

Governance is a choice. We choose to be involved and engaged or we choose to ignore. Again, the choice is ours in how the process is managed, but we need to choose. If we choose disinterest over engagement, isolation over multilateralism, then we make the bed which we sleep in. This definition requires citizens to make a stand and be a part of change, otherwise the governance process falls apart. There are certainly examples of the latter scenario in many places today.

The reference to “communities, schools, businesses and politicians” makes sure that all stakeholders are included. The choice of “schools” over the more formal “academia” was intentional; it feels more grounded and relevant to all communities since schools are nearly universal in reach at the local level while universities are not.

Other definitions of environmental governance usually focus on the “process”; however, the process is only one aspect of establishing proper governance at any scale. Equally important is the “structure”, which I have purposefully included in my definition above. In terms of global governance, UNEP (and the UN in general) are process experts. There are processes for dealing with all sorts of environmental issues, from climate change to soil erosion to invasive species like Australia’s problematic cane toad. But one important area where UNEP needs improvements are in its structure — the architecture by which the process is implemented and carried out. Proper environmental governance needs systems thinking to develop a generative model by which processes occur efficiently and fluidly, and where decisions lead to results without multiple detours and sidetracks in between. Every good plan starts with a proper design and strategy.

It’s not enough to refer to “sustainable development” in the definition of environmental governance. Although sustainable development has become common parlance for those following current events and news, it is easy for outsiders to write it off as technocratic babble. Most people are not familiar with the Brundtland Commission or “Our Common Future”: The Brundtland Report, which lays out the commonly accepted definition of sustainable development. This is why I instead include the phrase “by which our natural resources and environment are used but also sustained” and then proceed to reference “for future generations” in homage to the Brundtland definition. Again, I simplify “future generations” by ending with “for our children and their children thereafter” so that readers take to heart that “future generations” is not some alien race millions of years into the future; it is our generation and that which follows us. This hits home with much more impact than “future generations”. Parents already can envision a future for their children, and most parents will want to be able to envision that future as a bright one.
http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

While I am not ultimately sure if my offered definition of environmental governance is any more useful than its predecessors, I do hope that my rationale above is useful for the reader to think about and consider. If you do enjoy the definition, please do start using it and spreading the word. I feel strongly that environmental governance needs more engagement from us, the people, in order for the outcomes we so desperately desire to take root. I think the definition offered helps place the ball in our court — now it’s up to us to take it forward.

Source: Walker Young at http://walker-young.com/2011/08/definition-revisited/ (viewed on 7 September 2011).

UP-NCPAG’s Center for Local and Regional Governance conducts “Seminar-Workshop for Crafting Climate Change Adaptation Measures and Strategies”

The Center for Local and Regional Governance (CLRG) conducted its first “Seminar-Workshop for Crafting Climate Change Adaptation Measures and Strategies” on 18-22 July 2011 at the Audio-Visual Room of the National College of Public Administration and Governance Building, University of the Philippines in Diliman Quezon City.

Twenty participants attended the workshop. They are mostly provincial/city/municipal legislators, vice-mayors, and technical staff from San Mariano, Isabela; Sorsogon City, Sorsogon; Pili and Libmanan, Camarines Sur; Surigao del Norte; Pulilan and San Jose del Monte City, Bulacan; San Francisco, Southern Leyte; Quezon, Palawan; and First District, Manila.

The objective of the seminar-workshop was to enable the participants to formulate climate change adaptation (CCA) measures and strategies and eventually integrate them into their local development plans. Dr. Ebinezer R. Florano assisted the CLRG in designing the objectives, contents, and schedule of the seminar-workshop; and provided reading materials. He also lectured on climate change governance frameworks (international and national), CCA measures and strategies formulation and prioritization, and mainstreaming CCA into local development plans++.

Government officials, technical experts, environmentalists, and academicians from the following institutions provided lectures and guided the participants in crafting their CCA plans: Climate Change Commission, PAG-ASA, National Defense College of the Philippines, Conservation International, Transcend, UP School of Urban and Regional Planning, and UP-NCPAG. Former Southern Leyte Governor Rosette Lerias and former Opol Mayor Dixon Yasay shared their experiences in climate change adaptation after tragedies struck their LGUs. Gov. Lerias showed a video of the Guinsaugon landslide which occurred in 2006. The video documentary moved some participants to tears, but they were also inspired by the rehabilitation efforts the governor made.

The CLRG will conduct another seminar-workshop in September 2011. For registration details, contact Ms. Cely Jamig, training coordinator, at 928-3914, 925-7422, or 981-8500 local 4175.

FORUM ON CLEAR AIR 10+2

Dear Partners for Clean Air:

We have the honor to invite you to attend our upcoming Forum on Clean Air 10 + 2 and PCA General Assembly on June 14 -15, 2011 at the Social Hall of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Visayas Avenue, Quezon City. Hoping that you may be able to attend this important event.

Kindly send your response on or before June 6, 2011 by calling the PCA Secretariat at telephone numbers 395-7149 and 0916 397-8288.

Thank you very much!

PCA Secretariat

GOOD NEWS: CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION AND MITIGATION IS AMONG THE FIVE CLUSTERS CREATED BY PRESIDENT AQUINO

PRESIDENT Benigno S. C. Aquino III has formally restructured the Cabinet into five groups that will serve as advisory bodies, a move seen to increase productivity and efficiency in governance, a Palace aide said yesterday.





Under Executive Order (EO) 43 signed by the President on May 13 and effective immediately, the Cabinet has been organized into five clusters, namely, good governance and anti-corruption; human development and poverty reduction; economic development; security, justice and peace; and climate change adaptation and mitigation.


Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa, Jr. said in a statement the system "is meant to ensure efficiency, effectiveness and focus in carrying out the programs and policies of the government."


The clusters, which will serve as advisory committees to the Office of the President, will recommend measures on policy and operational matters for approval of the President.

.....

The Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation cluster is chaired by the DENR secretary with the Climate Change Commission (CCC) functioning as secretariat. Its members are the HUDCC chairman, the secretaries of DoST, DILG, DPWH, DSWD, DA, DAR, DoE and DND; and the chairman of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority.


The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) was not included in the cluster as it is also involved in other non-climate change issues, the head of the agency said in an interview.


Undersecretary Benito T. Ramos, NDRRMC executive director, said in a telephone interview: "Kailangan din [We are still needed for inputs]. Although the CCC and NDRRMC are two separate organizations with separate legislation, we have a memorandum of understanding."


Rather than deal with climate change-related issues, he added, NDRRMC is concerned with the management of disasters that are not influenced by climate change such as earthquakes and volcano eruption.

Source: http://server2.interfuel.com/content.php?section=Nation&title=Aquino-restructures-Cabinet-into-five-clusters&id=31408

GREENING THE MEDIUM-TERM PHILIPPINE DEVELOPMENT PLAN (MTPDP)

GREENING THE MEDIUM-TERM PHILIPPINE DEVELOPMENT PLAN (MTPDP) forum to be held on May 27, 1-6 p.m. near the Quezon City Circle. Watch out for details. Being organized by Partido Kalikasan.

NELP confers Green Choice Seal to Fujimoto LED downlight

The National Ecolabelling Program – Green Choice Philippines (NELP-GCP) awarded Fujimoto International Technology Corporation’s (FITC) LED downlight the Green Choice Philippines Seal of Approval last April 26 at the Cavite Economic Zone, Rosario, Cavite. Receiving the seal from National Solid Waste Management Commission Executive Director Emelita Aguinaldo was FITC president Kazushi Fujimoto.

Pushing for a greener economic zone, Mr. Wilson Henson, programme manager of Green Choice Philippines discussed GCP, a voluntary third party ecolabel declaration, to FITC suppliers and costumers. GCP seal is given to products and services that exemplify environmental excellence in their production practices based on set standards. Guided by ISO 14024, GCP aims to green the consumption and production of consumers and manufacturers respectively.

FITC, being a multinational company manufacturing and distributing electronic and semi-conducting materials, expressed confidence to Green Choice Philippines as a business partner that will help them strengthen not only their economic status but also support their environmental advocacies and practices.

In the same way, Mr. Fujimoto affirmed that FITC will continue to support the programs of NELP-GCP by complying with the environmental standards as well as encouraging other business organizations to apply for the GCP seal. Moreover, FITC expressed their intent to apply their other products for the Green Choice seal including their LED kitchen light, fire light, and dome light.

Although FITC is a Japanese-owned company, Mr. Fujimoto expressed, “since Fujimoto is established in the Philippines, it is for the Filipino people.”


As of press time, NELP- GCP has awarded the GCP Seal of Approval to 20 products that show environmental leadership. Philippine Economic Zone Authority director Mrs. Lilia de Lima said in a speech delivered by Atty. Norma Cajulis, administrator of the Cavite Economic Zone said “the 20 products awarded with Green Choice Seal are quite diverse but what is common among the awardees is their strong commitment of reducing the environmental impacts of their manufacturing operations.”

Furthermore, Director Aguinaldo, whose agency sits as a member of NELP-GCP board, encourages manufacturers to apply for the Green Choice Philippines Seal. She added that with GCP seal, consumers can be guided and consequently make informed decisions on purchasing certified true environmentally-sound products and services.

ASSESSMENT OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NATIONAL ECO-LABELLING PROGRAM (NELP) IN THE PHILIPPINES, 2001-2011

by: Richard Bryan G. Bugarin, Julliane Magdalene Z. Lallana,** Ralph Christian C. Mancenido,* Karen D. Nogaliza,*** and Jose Emmanuel M. Pagkanlungan***

An undegraduate research paper submitted to to the University of the Philippines-National College of Public Administration and Governance (UP-NCPAG), March 2011

Adviser: Prof. Ebinezer R. Florano, Ph.D.

(To be published as Occassional Paper by UP-NCPAG's Publication Office. Advance copy of this paper can be obtained by contacting Mr. Ralph Mancenido via e-mail at ralph11_neo@yahoo.com)

ABSTRACT

The past twenty years saw the rapid upsurge of eco-labelling programs envisioned to address extensive ecological trepidations. European eco-labels led implementation of such scheme to help consumers make good purchasing choices in terms of which among the products in the market have the least negative environmental effects. In the Philippines, the National Eco-labelling Program (NELP) or Green Choice Philippines (GCP) became the government’s response apropos the call for environmental protection. Nevertheless, there exists an indistinct understanding of the effectiveness of eco-labelling on consumers’ consumption activities in the country. This paper assesses the effectiveness of the NELP in terms of achieving the goals and functions for which it has been created. It shows an assessment of the effects and impacts of the program from the years 2001 to 2011 and how these are influenced by the content of the eco-labelling policy and its context of implementation. Significant influences to the implementing activities of the program such as the: (1) program implementers, (2) resources committed, (3) power, interests and strategies of actors involved and (4) institution and regime characteristics have been taken into account to determine their effects on the output and outcome of the program. Industry participation, consumer recognition and demand and environmental quality of certified products were used as indicators to measure the effectiveness of the NELP for this particular study. A qualitative design which involves data gathering and the conduct of interviews with primary stakeholders as well as the collection secondary data was employed in deriving the recommendations that can be used by the NELP in order to improve its implementation of the eco-labelling program. Further, a case study and historical approach was used to arrive at a pattern of data and to analyze the influences to the implementing activities of the program. The results of study showed that the lack of appropriate, clear and comprehensive legal footing and the limited financial resources, both ominously influenced by the content of eco-labelling policy and implementation, are the primary reasons that caused the ineffectiveness of the program. Government intervention, through policy support, is deemed to be necessary to strengthen the implementation of the NELP and further its positive effects to the society. Congress may also look into the integration of the green procurement with that of the public fund-saving policy in procuring products that offer the lowest prices during government biddings. Finally, good governance in its truest sense should be upheld to avoid the added burden, from corruption, to manufacturers.

---------------------
*Graduated Summa Cum Laude, 2nd Semester, Academic Year 2010-2011.
**Graduated Magna Cum Laude, 2nd Semester, Academic Year 2010-2011.
***Graduated Cum Laude, 2nd Semester, Academic Year 2010-2011.

PCEPSDI CALLS FOR GREEN ADVERTISERS

Registration is Open for the Philippine Green Pages

The Philippine Center for Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development, Inc. (PCEPSDI) is calling for all the producers and distributors to register their eco-friendly products and services to the first-ever Philippine’s eco-directory, the Philippine Green Pages to be launched on August 18, 2011 to satisfy the need for a list of environmentally friendly products and services to attain sustainability.

PCEPSDI, the administrator of the National Ecolabelling Programme – Green Choice Philippines (NELP-GCP) is advocating sustainable consumption and production to the industry and government and now expanding to a larger group – the youth through the newly formed Philippine Green Youth Movement (Phil GYM) and the general public through their new publication. PCEPSDI, a non-stock, non-profit and non-government organization, with Ms. Elisea ‘Bebet’ Gozun as its chairperson is adopting the Asian Productivity Organization’s (APO’s) asian-wide eco-directory in the Philippines.

In partnership with the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP), PCEPSDI will publish the first-ever directory listing of ecolabelled products (Green Choice Philippines Certified), green products, green materials, green components, and green services. Fittingly titled, Philippine Green Pages (PGP), it aims to be the primary reference of all suppliers and providers of eco-friendly products. This will be used as a tool by institutional buyers greening their procurement, including the members of the Green Purchasing Alliance Movement (GPAM) and individual consumers in making purchasing decisions.

To name a few, energy saving appliances, accessories made out of recycled materials, stores using eco-bags, business solutions to save on electricity and water consumption can be registered to the maiden publication of PGP. This new kind of directory will also be published in the internet that would be a venue and an opportunity for eco-friendly products to become a staple item in an office or household.

For more details on how to register your green product and service, you may call the secretariat at 631-2151 or visit their website at http://pcepsdi.org/philgreenpages. You may also email them at greenchoicephilippines@pcepsdi.org.ph and philippinegreenpages@pcepsdi.org.ph.

* The National Ecolabelling Programme – Green Choice Philippines (NELP-GCP) is a project under the auspices of the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
# # #

If you’d like more information about this, or to schedule an interview with Mr. June M. Alvarez, please call Grace Lebria at 631-2151 or email at philippinegreenpages@gmail.com or greenchoicephilippines@gmail.com.

REDEFINING RESPONSIBLE BUYING

Registration is Open for the Philippine Green Pages

Energy saving appliances, office equipment made out of recycled materials, stores using eco-bags, business solutions to save on electricity and water consumption. A lot of talks have been made to promote these eco-friendly products and services. Conferences, exhibits, news articles on new technologies have been a staple venue to highlight the same. It is time to go beyond talking about it and start acting upon it.

The Philippine Center for Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development, Inc. (PCEPSDI), the administrator of the National Ecolabelling Programme – Green Choice Philippines (NELP-GCP) is advocating sustainable consumption and production. Redefining the boundaries of responsibilities, protecting the environment not only lies on how the industry operates, but also, on how we decide what to purchase and consume.

Together with the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP), PCEPSDI will publish the first-ever directory listing of ecolabelled products (Green Choice Philippines Certified), green products, green materials, green components, and green services. Fittingly titled, Philippine Green Pages (PGP), aims to be the primary reference of all suppliers and providers to be used by institutional buyers including the Green Purchasing Alliance Movement (GPAM) and individual consumers in making purchasing decisions.

The tools to go green are available. The challenge now is to change our consumption patterns and make green products and services accessible. It’s a matter of bridging the gap between consumers and green providers, and that is what PGP will address.

For more details on how to register your green product and service, you may call the secretariat at 631-2151 or visit their website at http://pcepsdi.org/philgreenpages. You may also email them at greenchoicephilippines@pcepsdi.org.ph and philippinegreenpages@pcepsdi.org.ph.

* PCEPSDI is a non-stock, non-profit and non-government organization duly registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). It is an affiliate organization of the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) with Ms. Elisea “Bebet” Gozun, former DENR secretary as the chairperson. PCEPSDI is also the administrator of the National Ecolabelling Programme – Green Choice Philippines (NELP-GCP), a project under the auspices of the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

# # #

If you’d like more information about this, or to schedule an interview with Mr. June M. Alvarez, please call Grace Lebria at 631-2151 or email at philippinegreenpages@gmail.com or greenchoicephilippines@gmail.com.

Earth Hour 2011: March 26, 8:30-9:30 p.m.

JOIN!!! If not your whole house's lights, your room's bulb will do. Then, pray for the whole world.

At 8:30 PM on Saturday 26th March 2011, lights will switch off around the globe for Earth Hour and people will commit to actions that go beyond the hour.

With Earth Hour almost upon us, our thoughts are with the people of Japan during this incredibly challenging and sad time for their country.

日本の皆さん、勇気を持って頑張って下さい

Public Administration Students Conduct Climate Change Vulnerability and Adaptation Workshops in Real, Quezon Province

In the midst of the regional and national disasters (Japan earthquake and flashfloods in Visayas and Mindanao) that gripped the country and the whole world, students of Public Administration 191 (Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation – a course of Prof. Ebinezer Florano) of the National College of Public Administration and Governance of the University of the Philippines (UP-NCPAG) cast their fears aside and went to the Municipality of Real, Quezon Province to conduct community-based climate change vulnerability assessment and adaptation workshops on 16-18 March 2011. The workshops enabled them to have hands-on experience in managing them, and at the same time, assist the municipal government jumpstart the formulation of their own local climate change action plan mandated for all local government units (LGUs) under the Climate Change Act of 2009.

Real is a 3rd class coastal municipality at the northeast side of Luzon island bounded by Lamon Bay (east), Rizal and Laguna Provinces (west), Municipalities of Nakar and Infanta (north), and the Municipality of Mauban (south). It has a total land area of 563.8 square kilometer and is composed of 17 barangays with 33,073 residents as of 2007 (Wikipedia 2011).

Real has had it shares of natural disasters. In December 2004, 500 people were either proclaimed dead or missing after the municipality was ravaged by Typhoons Violeta, Winnie, and Yoyong (Wikipedia 2011). Other hazards that constantly sow fear among the residents include flowing debris, slope failures and landslides.

The class conducted vulnerability assessment using the “Vulnerability Assessment Toolkit” developed by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration-Coastal Services Center which consists of seven steps: (1) hazard identification, (2) hazard analysis, (3) critical facilities analysis, (4) social analysis, (5) environmental analysis, (6) economic analysis, and (7) adaptation opportunity analysis.

During the hazard identification and prioritization stages, the participants agreed that the municipal government should focus on preparing for the following hazards which they ranked in terms of frequency, area of impact, and magnitude: (1) typhoons/storm surge, (2) flashfloods, (3) landslide, and (5) tsunami. The class was happy to learn that two of the hazards that they pre-identified (sea-level rise (SLR), floods, and earthquakes) were among the prioritized hazards by the participants who listened intently on the on the students’ reports, based mostly on scientific reports and maps gathered from NAMRIA, PHIVOLCS, PAG-ASA, and DENR-GMB.

During the climate change adaptation workshops, in response to the pre-identified hazards, the participants enumerated and ranked the following adaptation measures:

• Sea-Level Rise: (1) mangrove planting, (2) RICE (research, information, communication, education), (3) seawall construction, (4) relocation of affected residents and establishments, and (5) non-privatization of coastal areas.

• Earthquakes: (1) RICE, (2) zoning ordinance, (3) construction of resilient accommodations, (4.5) relocate affected residents, and (4.5) population control.

• Floods: (1) RICE, (2) watershed management, (3) relocation and provide buffer zone, (4) tree planting, and (5) construction of seawalls and dikes.

The workshops were attended by municipal government staff from the following offices: agriculture, planning and development, social work, tourism, engineering, municipal administrator, etc. Mayor Joel Amando Diestro and Municipal Administrator Manuel Meraña approved the holding of the workshops. Students who conducted the workshops were: Diane Zapata, Ayesha Mambuay, Ace Cardenas, Noelle Rivera, Kaizzer Tanada, Leizle Arlando, Ishmail Bahjin, Mabelle Romero, Camilo Bugayong, Mitchka Nicanor, Nikki Grafil, Gian Pantaleon, Beatriz Caday, Angelica Herico, Raphael Itchon, and Raeon Laspinas.

PAGASA: More floods, landslides loom over east Visayas, Mindanao

After leaving at least nine people dead and affecting more than 15,000 residents, flash floods and landslides continue to threaten parts of Visayas and Mindanao, state weather forecasters said Friday.

Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) forecaster Gener Quitlong said the northeast monsoon is prevailing over Luzon while a wind convergence is affecting Southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

"Ang payo natin sa mga kababayan natin diyan maging alerto tayo. Naroon ang convergence zone kaya nakakabuo ang kaulapan (Our advice to our people living in those areas is to be alert. There is a wind convergence over Southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, and clouds bringing rains are likely to form there)," Quitlong said in an interview on dzBB radio.

On Thursday, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said the death toll from floods and landslides that hit parts of the Visayas and Mindanao in past days went up to nine.

Some 3,130 families or 15,398 people from Bohol, Western Samar, Eastern Samar, Leyte, Southern Leyte in the Visayas; and Misamis Oriental and South Cotabato in Mindanao were affected.

Of these, 2,878 families or 14,138 people were evacuated.

Yet, PAGASA said the affected areas may still continue to experience rains.

"Southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao will experience mostly cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms becoming cloudy with widespread rains over the Bicol Region, Eastern Visayas and Northeastern Mindanao which may trigger flashfloods and landslides. Northern and Central Luzon will be be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated light rains," PAGASA said in its 5 a.m. bulletin. — LBG, GMA News

Source: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/215574/nation/pagasa-more-floods-landslides-loom-over-east-visayas-mindanao

A teacher's plea: Recent earthquakes and tsunamis in Japan (March 11, 2011)

Dear Students,

The recent calamities that struck Japan remind us that now, more than ever, we should start to adapt our practices, procedures, and structures to the ever-increasing frequency, magnitude, and impact of natural and man-made disasters. Actually, there were other disasters and extreme weather events that occurred in the previous months on the other side of the Earth but they were hardly noticed by the media or we simply ignored them. And if we are to believe climate change projections and scenarios, many more are still to come (but we should be careful also in quickly attributing everything to climate change; let the scientists do that for us). In the future, in your little ways, I hope you could help prepare our country deal with these calamities.

Executive Order 26 enjoins students, govt workers to plant 10 trees a year

(Miss Philippine-Earth 2006 Catherine Untalan planting Tuba-Tuba (jatropha curcas) in the backyard of UP-NCPAG)

Starting this year, students and government employees will be required to plant a minimum of ten seedlings per year as part of the Aquino administration’s initiative to grow 1.5 billion trees in six years.

The planting of 1.5 billion trees in about 1.5 million hectares of land was stated in Executive Order 26, declaring the implementation of the National Greening Program (NGP) as a government priority, which President Benigno Aquino III signed last month.

The other priority programs of the government are poverty reduction, resource conservation and protection, productivity enhancement, and climate change mitigation and adaptation.

The NGP is the consolidation of the government’s various greening efforts such as Upland Development Program and Luntiang Pilipinas, as well as similar initiatives of civil society organizations and other private groups.

Under EO 26, all government institutions, especially Department of Agriculture, Department of Agrarian Reform, Deparment of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Education and Commission on Higher Education are tasked to produce good-quality seedlings annually for the NGP.

The technical assistance shall be provided by DA, DENR, and DAR under the Convergence Initiative.

To ensure the successful implementation of the NGP, "all students, identified by the DepEd and CHED and all government employees shall be individually required to plant a minimum of ten (10) seedlings per year in areas determined by the Convergence Initiative."

The National Convergence Initiative is an approach for implementing development projects that entail close coordination among the DA, DAR and DENR, as suggested and supported by the World Bank.

"Private sectors and civil society groups shall likewise be encouraged to participate in the NGP," the EO states.

The trees will be planted in the forestlands, mangrove and protected areas, ancestral domains, civil and military reservations, urban areas under the greening plan of the local government units, inactive and abandoned mine sites, and other suitable lands.

With appropriate assistance from the government and the private sector, the community organizations will be given the primary responsibility of maintaining and protecting the established plantations, EO 26 states.

It also says that all proceeds from agroforestry plantations, duly accounted by the DENR, will accrue to the NGP beneficiary communities to address food security and poverty reduction.

The NGP beneficiary communities will be considered priority in the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) Program.

Appropriate incentives will also be developed to encourage reforestation, particularly in the protected area.

The executive order states that DA, DAR and DENR will develop a centralized database and provide regular monitoring and timely report on the progress of the NGP.

The private sector, civil society groups and academe will also be involved in the monitoring and evaluation of the NGP.—JV, GMA News

Source: GMA News at http://www.gmanews.tv/story/214509/eo-26-enjoins-students-govt-workers-to-plant-10-trees-a-year

Resolve II: Charter Change, Napapanahon Na Nga Ba?

During the last years of the previous administration, clamor for Charter Change or Cha-Cha was high. The UP Samahan Tungo sa Progresibong Administrasyon (UP-STPA) sponsored a public forum to provide a much needed place for public discussion and to settle the issue on Cha-Cha. It was titled, “Resolve: Is Cha-Cha the way to Philippine Development?” Two years since the last forum, there is once again clamor for Charter Change and this time, we have a new administration. Thus, the UP-STPA decided to do a sequel on it entitled, "Resolve II: Charter Change, Napapanahon Na Nga Ba?” on 10 March 2011 (Thursday) at the Assembly Hall of the U.P. National College of Public Administration and Governance (UP-NCPAG) from 1:00pm – 5:00 pm. Admission is free.

Speakers from the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the government were invited to shed light on the topic. There will be reactions from the civil society. Details will be provided as soon as the invited speakers have confirmed their attendance. For inquiries, please contact Marlowe Popes at 0915-869-1671 or Chev Salvador at 0927-844-3919.

UP-STPA is a UP Diliman-registered organization founded in 1988. It is a two-time Gawad Chancellor awardee for Best Student Organization in 1996 and 1997.

INTRODUCTION TO, AND CRITIQUE ON THE 2009 GREEN BUILDING ORDINANCE OF QUEZON CITY

by Ebinezer R. Florano

Introduction

The Quezon City government, through its Department of Building Official (DBO), has embarked on an information campaign about its Green Building Ordinance (GBO) of 2009 and its (“soft”) Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) on 23 February 2011 at U.P.-Ayala Technohub which was attended by various stakeholder (i.e., contractors, developers, public sectors, government agencies, utility companies, professionals, designers, consultants, building owners, and realtors).

GBO 2009 is actually the city’s Ordinance No. SP-1917, series of 2009 entitled, “An Ordinance Requiring the Design, Construction Retrofitting of Buildings, Other Structures and Movable Properties to Meet Minimum Standards of a Green Infrastructure, Providing Incentives Thereof and for Other Purposes.” It was approved by then Mayor Feliciano Belmonte, Jr. on 2 April 2009. It will be effective starting in April 2011.

The ordinance was promulgated to “establish and maintain building standard that requires the planning, design, construction, operation, and maintenance, including the retrofitting of building projects that strictly adhere to energy efficiency, cost effectiveness, and mitigate impacts on environmental degradation,” among others.

According to the ordinance, a “green building” refers to “an integrated whole-building approach to the planning, design, construction, operation and maintenance of buildings and their surrounding land space that help mitigate the environmental, economic, and social impacts of buildings. Emphasis is on site conservation and sustainable planning, water conservation and efficiency, energy efficiency and renewable energy; conservation of materials and resources and indoor environmental quality and human health.”

The ordinance covers buildings/structures classified by the National Building Code, namely: hotels, office buildings, malls, dry markets, wet markets, and slaughterhouses (commercial); schools, office buildings, and hospitals (institutional); and factors, and warehouses (industrial).

Building owners have the option to have their buildings certified “green.” They must submit technical requirements to be able to obtain two certificates, namely: a Preliminary Certificate (PC), and a Final Certificate (FC).

To get a PC, building owners must submit proofs of the following mandatory requirements: construction activity control pollution prevention system, energy efficiency plan, water use reduction system involving water efficient fixtures, waste management plan, designated smoking area layout, and sewage treatment plan.

To obtain tax credit, building owners have the option to submit the following proofs for the elective technical requirements: flood mitigation study or reference, mixed-use neighborhood center, community connectivity, provision of bicycles and attendant storage cabinets on parking lots, proximity to transport hubs, provision of adequate parking capacity, landscape in open spaces, light-colored paving or open grid, green roof, storm water management, building envelope design, less use of energy for air-conditioning system, good natural ventilation, reduction of electric consumption, use of renewable energy system as alternate power source, water consumption reduction, etc.

After assessing the completeness and compliance with the technical requirements, the proposed building will be rated by the Green Building Inspection Unit of the DBO on the following areas: land/sites sustainability, energy efficiency, water efficiency, materials and resources, and indoor environment quality. A new building project or building renovation can earn up to 100 points. The points have equal tax credit which will be issued by the City Treasurer and City Assessor in the PC.

Those which will obtain 90-above points (super gold) will earn 25% tax credit; 70-89 points (gold) will earn 20% tax credit; 50-69 points (silver) will earn 15% tax credit; and below 50 (certified green building) will not earn any tax credit. This is the Quezon City Green Building Evaluation and Rating Table system.

The formula for the Green Building Tax Credit is: GBTC = RPT x Factor.

Where:

GBTC = maximum amount of Green Building Tax Credit

RPT = Real Property Tax (on improvement/structure)

Factor = the specific tax credit rate provided for in the Quezon City Green Building Evaluation and Rating Table.

The tax credit is good for three years.

Once the building has been completely erected, or the retrofitting/renovation has been accomplished, the DBO will issue the FC.

Critique

The Quezon City government must be commended for its initiative to “green” buildings that will be erected on its territory. This is perhaps the first of its kind in the Philippines which is worth emulating. It might even catch the attention of the Climate Change Commission which listed “green cities and municipalities” as one of its key result areas for the National Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAP).

However, during the open forum, the author was able to find out the following gaps or loopholes in the Green Building Ordinance:

• It is not mandatory. Building owners are not required to secure Green Building certification. They can opt to get the regular building permits (original and renewal). Why not make it part and parcel of the building permit issuance system?

• Being optional, there is no punitive measure for those building owners who will not get Green Building Certificates. The ordinance is a mere “carrot”; there is no stick. Is the 25% tax credit enough to seduce building owners to get their Green Building Certificates?

• The ordinance does not cover residential structures, which according to the proponents, is due to cost consideration. Considering the fact that Quezon City has 2.7 million residents (as of 2007), it should consider widening the coverage of the ordinance so as to make these residential buildings “green.”

• The ordinance, according to the proponents, covers government offices. Unfortunately, it is not clear how the tax credit will be useful to these offices because they do not pay RPT anyway. The ordinance should have made it mandatory for all government offices to be green.

• The IRR does not mention the “use of environment-friendly materials” as a criterion for giving tax credit which is unfortunate because Section 20.4 of SP 1917 mentions it. This should be mentioned in the IRR because “green/sustainable infrastructure” calls for eco-efficiency, that is, less consumption of natural resources (e.g., energy, water, land and raw materials) and less pollution during the construction and usage of infrastructure.

There were other questions and suggestions during the forum like requiring building owners to conduct Environmental Impact Assessment especially in disaster-prone areas or in areas whose biological diversity or natural settings can be affected.

Recommendations

It was a wise move on the part of the Quezon City government to have consulted the various stakeholders on the “soft” IRR of its Green Building Ordinance of 2009. However, it needs to be strengthened. First, it should be mandatory for all structures, including residential structures, if not now, perhaps in the future. Second, there should be punitive measures aside from the tax credit. Third, in its final version, the IRR should include Section 20.4 of SP 1917 requiring building owners to use environment-friendly materials in the construction of their structures.

SENATOR EDGARDO ANGARA SEEKS PASSAGE OF 'GREEN' LAWS

Note: Senator Ed Angara can be an ally for green growth.

During a recent press conference, Senator Edgardo J. Angara called upon his colleagues in the government to embark on "an overall greening" or cleanup of the country to reduce the high levels of pollution. This movement, he says, can be initiated through the creation of more comprehensive environmental laws by the Congress.

The veteran lawmaker explained that several environmental laws are already in existence but are not being properly implemented throughout the nation.

"There are already different environmental laws passed in recent year, but have not been put into action. I believe we must update and modernize these laws to adapt to the changes in the environment and the development of green technologies," said Angara.

"Maybe it's time for a total review of these environmental laws--with provisions and punishments attuned to the advancements in technology and the changes in the global climate over the past ten years," said Angara.

Angara, head of the Senate Committee on Science and Technology, also emphasized the need to develop environmentally-friendly projects in the country.

"Green technology, such as the use of renewable energy, low-emission machinery and the development of recycling facilities would all play a great role in solving the pollution problem in the Philippines, especially in the metropolitan areas," said Angara.

Source: http://www.senate.gov.ph/press_release/2011/0218_angara1.asp

Quezon City gov't to contractors: Make your structures "green"

I am particularly proud of this development in the Quezon City Hall. The new Department of Building Official is a product of the Citizen Report Card (CRC)which we did for Quezon City in 2007 (together with CRC for business permit and health service). We did not directly suggest the creation of the new "department" but it was a wise move from then Mayor Sonny Belmonte to have it separated, thru an ordinance, from the City Engineer's Office (back then, it was called the "Office of the Building Official") after we reported so many anomalies. Now the department is staffed with qualified building inspectors and technical staff, and being managed professionally. I had the chance to interview the head and I sincerely believe in his competence. I hope other LGUs will follow the example of Mayor Bistek's green city initiative.

Quezon City gov't to contractors: Make your structures "green"

By Julie M. Aurelio
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 13:40:00 02/18/2011

Filed Under: Laws, Local authorities, Environmental Issues


MANILA, Philippines--Developers seeking to build new buildings in Quezon City better make sure their structures are "green."

City building official Engr. Isagani Versoza Jr. said the Quezon City government will begin enforcing its "green building ordinance" in April where they will require contractors to adopt eco-friendly technologies in their structures.

The ordinance mandates the use of eco-friendly technology and system in the planning, design, construction, operation and maintenance including the retrofitting of building projects.

Versoza said he is proud of Quezon City being the pioneer among local government units in adopting and implementing green building infrastructure, which he said is City Mayor Herbert Bautista's advocacy.

He added that the city government wishes to promote energy efficiency and cost effectiveness in building construction as well to mitigate adverse impacts on environment degradation.

"Our mayor strongly believes that the implementation of green policy emphasizes the need to promote and protect the interrelation of the natural ecosystem and development. These are the key factors that contribute to sustainable development, empowerment of people and urban development," Versoza said.

The building official explained that part of the administration's advocacy is to reduce greenhouse gas and other hazardous emissions from buildings and similar structures.

The ordinance's implementing rules and regulations will be adopted this April.

To encourage developers and contractors to support the new ordinance, the city government will offer incentives in the form of tax credits to those conforming to the green building policy.

"There is an incentive in the form of tax credits for the land users, developers and planners who incorporate, implement, install and actually use environment friendly technologies," Versoza said.

To brief developers, contractors and building owners on the green building policy, the city government will hold a symposium next week for concerned parties to be able to clarify issues on the ordinance.

Versoza said the symposium will be held on Feb. 23, 2011 at the U.P. Ayala Technohub to brief the affected parties before the actual adoption and implementation of the ordinance come April.

Invited to attend are developers, contractors, professions, building owners and government engineers who wish to thresh out some questions with the city
government.

"Those who want to know the guidelines, procedure requirements, forms and other relevant information on how to apply for a green building certificate, which is a requirement in applying for permits in the construction, renovation or retrofitting of buildings et al," Versoza said in qualifying who may attend.

Interested parties may contact Frediswinda de Guzman at 4447272 local 8905 for details or visit www.quezoncity.gov.ph.

Source: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/metro/view/20110218-320952/QC-govt-to-contractors-Make-your-structures-green

Part 1: Governance of Climate Change in the Philippines

(for a clearer copy, e-mail the author at efloranoy@yahoo.com)

by Ebinezer R. Florano
with inputs from the MoI Cluster of the CCC-NCCAP Technical Workshop*

The Philippine Climate Change Commission (CCC) conducted a "Technical Workshop on the National Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAP)" on 26-28 January 2011 at Stotsenberg Hotel in Clark Field, Pampanga. The objective, among others, was to help the CCC create concrete action plans for the implementation of the NCCAP from 2011-2028. The 500+ participants from national government agencies, local government units, academe, political parties, and civil society organizations were grouped into several clusters, one of which is the Means of Implementation (MoI) cluster. The MoI cluster was able to draw up some concrete plans for the NCCAP and the CCC. In addition, they drew the relationships of the CCC to various national government agencies and local government units (LGUs), taking into consideration the legal mandates of these agencies. The diagram above is the product of the long-discussion on what should be the working relationships of various government agencies in the area of climate change governance in the Philippines.

In a summary, the President of the Philippines provides the strategic direction on climate change governance. He/she is assisted by the CCC which is the sole policy-making body of the government tasked to coordinate, monitor and evaluate the programs and action plans of the government relating to climate change pursuant to the provisions of the Climate Change Act of 2009 (Republic Act No. 9729). The CC policies shall be integrated into the Medium-Term Philippine Development Plan (MTPDP) and all other plans that the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) is tasked to do as the central development planning agency of the country. The President is Chairman of both the CCC and the NEDA, hence, coordination should not pose as a problem between the two agencies.

For 2011-2016, NEDA has chosen "Green Growth" as its theme for the MTPDP of the Aquino Administration. Planning for CC and green growth, theoretically, should use both the bottom-up and top-down approach. The President, at the beginning of his/her term, shall instruct, through NEDA, all government agencies, including LGUs and government-owned and/or controlled corporations (GOCCs), to formulate their development plans according to his/her vision and campaign promises.

Now, that climate change is mandated to be mainstreamed into all development plans by the Climate Change Act of 2009, the NEDA guidelines should reflect this. Using the NEDA guidelines, all LGUs, which are at the frontline of the CC campaigns, through their local development councils (LDCs), shall formulate their Local Climate Change Action Plan (LCCAP) which shall serve as inputs, together with plans for local disaster risk reduction (DRR), to the local development plans (LDPs), annual investment plans, etc. Municipalities and cities can be assisted by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), various local government leagues, and their provincial governments in the formulation of the LCCAP and LDPs.

All of these local development plans shall be integrated and be used for the formulation of regional development plans (RDPs). In the formulation of the RDPs, multi-stakeholder participation - from regional offices of national government agencies, provincial chief executives, and civil society organizations - is employed. The regional offices of NEDA act as secretariat to the Regional Development Councils which are tasked to formulate their RDPs.

From the regional level, the NEDA regional offices shall transmit the RDPs to their national office - the NEDA Secretariat. The RDPs shall serve as inputs in the formulation of the MTPDP. The latter shall be approved by the NEDA Board whose chairman is the President of the Philippines.

Meanwhile, all LCCAPs shall also be transmitted directly to the CCC which shall integrate all of them and see to it that they are mainstreamed into the MTPDP.

The diagram above can also be used not only in mainstreaming of CC matters in the development plans but also in the implementation, and monitoring and evaluation of CC programs, plans, and projects.

Unfortunately, during the discussions in the MoI cluster, it was reported that the 2011-2016 MTPDP is being formulated without the benefit of the top-down and bottom-up approaches described above. Hence, there is lingering doubt that the MTPDP would really reflect the LDPs and RDPs of LGUs, and even the sectoral plans of national government agencies, to climate-proof the country's development.

*Note: The diagram and discussions benefitted from the contributions from the following government agencies, LGU umbrella organization, environmental NGOs, political parties, and an academic institutions, namely: Climate Change Commission, National Economic and Development Authority, Department of Budget and Management, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Transportation and Communication (government agencies); Union of Local Government Authorities, Rice Watch and Action Network, Conservation International, Philippine Clean Air Initiative (NGOs); University of the Philippines-National College of Public Administration and Governance (academe); and Partido Kalikasan, and 1-UTAK (political parties).

*Disclaimer: The author is solely responsible for this write-up. All agencies and organizations mentioned above should not be held liable.

(Next topic: Other suggestions from the MoI cluster presented to the CCC during the technical workshop).

GOOD NEWS: Pres. Aquino suspends approval of large-scale mining applications

By Delon Porcalla
The Philippine Star)
Updated February 05, 2011 12:00 AM

MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang announced yesterday that President Aquino has ordered Secretary Ramon Paje of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to suspend all large-scale mining applications while the government reviews pending and inactive mining claims this year.

“The instruction right now from his office is not to accept new applications of mining claims since January this year,” presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said, adding that there is now a ban on processing of mining claims.

“We believe that we need to enforce properly the mining regulations and mining laws. So that is what the DENR is doing, and will continue to do, to strictly monitor and strictly implement the mining regulations,” he said.

Lacierda noted that upon assumption to office, Paje promised that “he will clean the process of the mining claims.”

“There were 2,800 mining claims when he assumed office. Right now he has cancelled already 500 mining claims. He is also in the process of reviewing 500 more,” Lacierda added.

Lacierda said this has been one of the programs of Aquino even when he was still a senator.

The DENR has terminated more than 500 mining permits and applications that have remained inactive and incomplete in terms of requirements.

Mines and Geosciences Bureau records show that there are 2,180 mining applications presently pending in various regional offices.

Paje said the department’s regional offices have been given two deadlines – on Feb. 20 and December this year – to clear all pending and inactive mining applications for this year.

He said the clearing of “aging” mining applications is in line with the department’s anti-corruption program.

“We have to decide... what to do with all of these mining applications pending in our regional offices. Otherwise, the public will continue to perceive us as inefficient and corrupt,” Paje said.

Source: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=654543&publicationSubCategoryId=63

COP16 approves the Cancun Accords: Documents include creation of a Green Fund

Following negotiations that ran through early Saturday morning, delegates at the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) in Cancun adopted by consensus the Cancun Accords, a series of documents that will provide the basis for efforts to confront climate change after the Kyoto Protocol expires.

The accords include a $30 billion-package for 2012 to aid nations taking immediate actions to halt effects of global warming, as well as financing for long-term projects to protect the environment through a Green Fund, which will provide $100 million annually for adaptation and mitigation measures.

Delegates also approved the creation of the forestry program Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) to facilitate the flow of resources to communities dedicated to forest conservation.

The President Felipe Calderón congratulated representatives of nearly 200 countries and the Conference authorities, including Ambassador Patricia Espinosa Cantellano, who headed COP16/CMP6 activities throughout the two-week conference.

"You have broken that inertia (toward negativity) and have traded a feeling of collective failure for one that recovers hope in multilateralism,” President Calderón Hinojosa said after the Cancun Accords were approved.

Source: http://www.cc2010.mx/en/press-center/news/news-interviews_2010121153618.htm

Note: Mute the video above to listen to the video below.

GOOD NEWS: Aquino issues EO 23 on indefinite log ban

By Delon Porcalla
(The Philippine Star)
Updated February 04, 2011 12:00 AM

MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino yesterday declared an indefinite log ban all over the country.

Aquino issued Executive Order 23 implementing the indefinite log ban and creating an Anti-Illegal Logging Task Force to be headed by Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Ramon Paje.

Aquino authorized the release of P10 million as seed fund for the task force. The initial budget would be sourced from the Department of Budget and Management with additional funds to be cleared by the President.

Aquino tasked Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, Philippine National Police chief Director General Raul Bacalzo and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Ricardo David to help the task force in implementing the indefinite log ban all over the country.

“The task force is mandated to take the lead in the anti-illegal logging campaign and ensure the implementation of this executive order under the supervision of the DENR. It shall also assist the DENR in the enforcement of other environmental laws,” the order read in part.

The moratorium shall remain in effect “unless lifted after the effectivity of this EO.”

EO 23, entitled “Declaring a moratorium on the cutting and harvesting of timber in the national and residual forests and creating the Anti-Illegal Logging Task Force,” was issued in light of widespread flooding and landslides in Mindanao, Eastern Visayas and Bicol where scores of people have died and were displaced.

The President earlier said illegal logging continues to be the main culprit of landslides in these areas that cause significant loss of life and damage to property.

Under the EO, the DENR would be restricted from issuing logging permits and contracts “in all natural and residual forests,” including renewing tree cutting permits in all forests all over the country.

The only exceptions to the log ban are those that involve the “clearing of road right of way, site preparation for tree plantations… provided that all logs derived from these permits shall be turned over to DENR for proper disposal.”

Cutting of trees that have been part of cultural activities of indigenous peoples “may be allowed only subject to strict compliance with existing guidelines of the DENR,” the EO stated.

The EO also tasked the DENR to prohibit the operation of sawmills, veneer plants and other wood processing plants “that are unable to present proof of sustainable sources of legally cut logs for a period of at least five years within one month from effectivity of this EO.”

The President also tasked other agencies to support the task force and assist in the discharge of its functions.

This support, as provided in the four-page executive order, is “not limited to the provision of administrative or technical assistance, logistical support and detail of personnel.”

The environmental activist group Kalikasan-People’s Network for the Environment led by Clemente Bautista Jr. said Aquino should immediately implement a total log ban.

“The people have suffered too much because of unabated logging and deforestation in the country,” Bautista said. – With Rhodina Villanueva

Source: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=654254&publicationSubCategoryId=63

SAD NEWS: Scientists find ‘creeping effects’ of climate change in Philippine coastal areas

By Tarra Quismundo
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 01:16:00 02/04/2011

MANILA, Philippines—If the world worries about monster storms, floods and landslides, what the eyes don't usually see should concern them as much.
Top marine scientists from around the country have found indications of the "creeping effects" of climate change on marine life—a study aimed at shifting focus from changes in weather phenomena on land to those happening underwater.

Tagged ICE CREAM (Integrated Coastal Enhancement: Climate Research, Enhancement and Adaptive Management), the government-funded project has found rising water temperatures, coral bleaching and coastal erosion in several of its 28 project sites dotting the Philippine coastline.

The team shared its initial findings to the INQUIRER as it marked the start of its third year. The P98-million project, funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DoST), the World Wildlife Fund and Conservation International involves more than a dozen marine science experts from across the country and separate staff at project sites.

“Something that is not visible is much more difficult to understand. It (the sea) is much more prone to being dismissed as being “no, there's still a lot of fish,” said Wilfredo Campos, a marine biologist from the University of the Philippines-Visayas.
“You don't really see what's happening. You see that there are mudslides, you see what's happening in the forest, but at sea, you really don't know what's happening. You look at the sea and feel that it (resources) is still finite, when actually, it's not,” Campos told the INQUIRER on Thursday.

Much debate still surrounds climate change, its causes and effects, but Porfirio Aliño, marine biologist from the UP Marine Science Institute, would rather look the at the bottomline.

“The climate is always changing, how you see it in relation to whether it's going to be more frequent or accelerated. But the bottomline is how do we respond to it, given that if we don't do anything, it will become accelerated,” he said.

“One question is that, climate has changed in evolutionary time. But the point is, during evolutionary time, there were no people yet. Now, climate change has a big effect on people,” he said.

Based on initial findings, the DoST climate change project found a 3-percent rise in shallow water temperature off Lian, Batangas in April to May of last year—an increase not observed even in intense summers.

“By May, it spiked to 31 degrees Celsius, while the normal range is 27 degrees to 29 degrees. For water, that's very high,” said Maricar Samson, an environmental scientist from the De La Salle University.

Such warm waters caused coral bleaching, which endangered an ecosystem that could buffer vulnerable coastlines from storm surges, the team said.

“If you take care of the reef, it will be able to compensate with sea level rise. But if of course it is in poor condition, it will not be able to buffer, for example, the storm surge. The increase in sea level will reach the shore,” he said.
Such rate of temperature rise, if observed every 5 years, would leave only 1 percent of the current coral reef population, Samson said. The same rise, if seen every 10 years, would leave only 11 percent.

In Botolan, Zambales, scientists found out that the coastline has receded significantly from 1977 to 2003.

“This has a big impact on the coast . Now, we're trying to do some projections in some parts of the Philippines on what will happen on their coastal stability,” Samson said.

Another study under ICE CREAM found a decrease in the productivity of fish species in coastal areas by roughly 20 percent, a “very fast rate” observed within two decades said Aliño.

“If we don't take care of our coral reefs, mangroves, sea grass and other habitats, obviously, the decline will be fast, we cannot cope with climate change. The other thing is, we are not as conscious about it unfortunately,” he said, adding that waters surrounding the archipelago were almost seven times bigger than its land area.
The team hopes to use data to influence policy-makers and stakeholders at the local and national levels: local government units could draft ordinances for better coastal protection while communities could practice more responsible use of marine resources.

“In the absence of scientists on the ground, the program hopes to give people tools where people can formulate their own [climate-change adaptation programs],” Samson said.

“These are site-specific. It's not possible that the whole Philippines will sink ... There will be different scenarios for [different parts of the] Philippines,” she added.

Source: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20110204-318321/Scientists-find-creeping-effects-of-climate-change-in-Philippine-coastal-areas

Editorial: Crazy weather

(collage by the blogger)

In the past 12 and a half months great areas of the world have experienced extreme, crazy and topsy-turvy weather. Both the western and eastern worlds suffered a midsummer breakdown:

The hottest summer (more than 100 degrees F for the first time) in Russia, sparking wildfires and blanketing Moscow with toxic smog;

The heaviest monsoon rains in Pakistan, causing rivers to rampage over the countryside, flooding thousands of villages, killing 1,500 people and leaving 14 million homeless;

The worst floods in China in decades which, together with landslides, killed at least 1,100 people and left more than 600 missing;

The wettest midsummer (some call it "Nashville's `Katrina'") in Iowa in 127 years of record-keeping, floodwaters forcing hundreds from their homes;

The calving off from the great Petermann Glacier in Greenland's northwest of a 100-square-mile chunk of ice.

Winter in the West (the cold season in the East) has been especially harsh. A "Snowmaggeddon" has blanketed huge areas of the United States. From extreme, brain-cooking heat during the summer, the weather has turned to the other extreme, with record snowfalls being experienced in areas that usually saw mild, gentle winters in the past.

And the end is not yet in sight. In the first half of January devastating floods have hit Australia; a tsunami-like wall of water ripped through Queensland's Lockyer Valley, tossing cars like toys, lifting houses from their foundations, and displacing hundreds of thousands of people (very reminiscent of "Ondoy"!). Thousands of kilometers away, in Brazil, more than 500 people have died in mudslides near Rio de Janeiro. In the Philippines, heavy rains have lashed the Bicol region, the Visayas and Mindanao, killing scores of people, displacing hundreds of thousands and causing billions of pesos in damage to crops, public works and private property.

Why the freakish, crazy weather? Scientists are hotly debating the issue, but the great majority say that it is caused by global warming. The United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has long predicted that rising global temperatures would produce more frequent and intense heat waves and more intense rainfalls. The IPCC's most recent assessment report says, "It is now more likely than not that human activity has contributed to observed increases in heat waves, intense precipitation events and the intensity of tropical cyclones."

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration has reported that 2010 was "the hottest meteorological year." For über-meteorologist Dr. Jess Masters of Weather Underground, 2010 was the year of living dangerously (insofar as the weather was concerned): "The stunning extremes we witnessed give me concern that our climate is showing early signs of instability."

Masters continued: "…I suspect that crazy weather years like 2010 will become the norm a decade from now, as the climate continues to adjust to the steady build-up of heat-trapping gasses we are pumping into the air… Forty years from now, the crazy weather of 2010 will seem pretty tame… This year's wild ride was just the beginning."

It was extremely fatal, destructive and frightening in many parts of the world, and yet, for a weather expert "it was just the beginning." Wild, wild 2010 should make all nations take more aggressive steps to try to control global warming. And everyone should contribute to the effort, from the poorest country to the richest, which are among those who are producing the greatest volume of greenhouse gases.

Governments and the private sector will have to study and adopt strong measures to control emissions; promote the use of human-friendly sources of power such as solar, wind, geothermal and ocean wave; curb deforestation; make rational land use plans; and resettle the poor who are always vulnerable on flood plains. Bold, aggressive measures have to be adopted, and the richer nations, which cause the most pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, have the moral obligation to provide funds to the poorer ones to help them cope with the problem.

We are now really seeing and experiencing "the dark side of climate change." Unless we begin solving the problem now, we will be condemning our children, and our children's children to a very harsh future, and probably, even to an early death.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer at http://opinion.inquirer.net/inquireropinion/editorial/view/20110118-315066/Crazy-weather