My warmest greetings to the participants as well as the organizers of the 10th Youth for Environment Summer (YES) Camp.

This summer camp is an excellent opportunity to widen the base of people, especially the youth, who are aware of environmental concerns and the various measures being done by all stakeholders to address this pressing issue.

This year’s theme, “Handa ka na ba?’’ (Climate Change Adaptation: The Next Level), captures the essence of the issue by asking the right question - of whether or not we are prepared to cope with the changes in the environment which we are witnessing at present.

I am looking forward to the youth’s inputs on this important issue, and I am proud to acknowledge your involvement in our drive to mitigate the devastating effects of the climate change in our country.

Mabuhay Kayo!

Welcome to the 10th Youth for Environment Summer (YES) Camp!

Today, we challenge everyone to answer the question: Handa Ka Na Ba? Are we ready to adapt to the consequences and impacts of climate change?

The answer to these questions could make a great difference. By realizing the importance of adaptation, lives and properties could be saved and risks to food, water and energy security could be minimized. Proactive adapt actions are key to both human and ecological resilience in the face of this more invasive environment or what others would call “the new normal” which we now live in.

It is in this context that the theme: Handa Ka Na Ba? (Climate Change Adaptation to the Next Level) revolves. In essence, it is a reinforcement of last year’s theme: Ako ay Handa. This year, we will go deeper in our knowledge and understanding of climate change; analyze our current efforts at adaptation; and evaluate if we are in the right direction towards a low-carbon and green development. Otherwise, based on the present scientific findings, we will have to redirect our actions to better respond to the challenges of the changing climate.

It might scare us to know about the likely fate of our planet with the grim predictions and future scenarios being played out. But let us bear in mind that since man is the source of the problem, the solution also lies with each one of us. And that while the challenges seem daunting, there is reason to be hopeful since more and more institutions and groups, from government, the private sector and civil society, are now aware of the problem, are engaged and are working together to face this massive global challenge.

It is therefore important for us stakeholders to be more proactive in healing Mother Earth. Let us participate in the global call of the Earth Day Network International for this year’s Earth Day celebration for “1 Billion Green Acts”. Acting as individuals, families, communities, organizations or groups, we can take action and make a difference. As David Orr, a scholar and an environmentalist, once said, “when we heal the earth, we heal ourselves.”

Let us take a stand for Mother Earth. Let us take action now! Let us adapt to climate change and thus, say YES to a better life.

The DENR’s collaboration with DepEd and other partners in holding the annual Youth for Environ-ment Summer (YES) Camp has yielded positive results towards the achievement of not only raising the awareness, but also ensuring active participation of the youth in environmental advocacies. For almost a decade now, the YES Camp has roused the consciousness of the youth on pressing environmental issues of our country, and has empowered their potential to act and effect real and positive change in their spheres of in-fluence.

This year’s 10th YES Camp is another oppurtunity to bring our actions to the next level. Its theme, “Handa ka na ba?” waves the red flag that readies us to take off for another round of Climate Change adaptations and preparedness. No matter how formidable this challenge is, we need to face it in great earnest-ness and convinction.

So, on behalf of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, I urge each and every one of us to continue our hardwork with sincere dedication and determination. Together, let us not stop to work as a team for our common goal of saving Mother Earth.

The road to Climate Change Adaptation is a journey of a thousand miles. It begins with a single step and for the Youth for Environment Summer (YES) Camp, it started in 2008 in Dumaguete City. Since then, the YES Camp has been leading the Filipino youth in understanding Climate Change and how we can adapt to and mitigate its effects. For this year, the camp would like to emphasize on Climate Change Adaptation as one of the most effective ways to respond to this global threat. By aligning our lifestyles to the changing patterns of the world’s climate, the young will be able to know what to do and how to be better prepared when disaster strikes.

For many years, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Special Concerns Office (DENR-SCO), through the Youth Desk, has been supporting the environmental programs and projects of the Department of Education (DepEd). The DENR-SCO has been providing technical assistance to the Youth for Environment in Schools (YES) Program of the Center for Students and Co-Curricular Affairs (DepEd-CSCA).

As DepEd’s partner in the environmental advocacy, we are also thankful to DepEd Secretary Br. Armin A. Luistro FSC for creating an inspiring development to the YES Program through the issuance of DepEd Order No. 52, 2011 (Strengthening Environmental Education in Public and Private Schools). The said DepEd Order enjoins all public and private elementary and secondary schools in the country to establish the Youth for Environment in Schools - Organizations (YES-Os) and conduct various environmental projects to benefit the community. We aim to have more young environmentalists who will protect our schools and our home planet.Altogether, we believe, we can adapt to Climate Change.

We hope that this year’s camp will go far in teaching the young the values of taking care of the environment. At the end of this activity, may we all answer YES to the question “Handa Ka Na Ba?”.

Mabuhay po tayong lahat!

With 92 million people, the Philippines faces threats from more intense tropical cyclones, drastic changes in rainfall patterns, sea level rise and increasing tempera-tures. All these factors affect our natural ecosystems, cascading to impact on our food security, water resources, human health, public infrastructure, energy and hu-man settlements, among others.

This year’s Youth for Environment Summer (YES) Camp with the theme “HANDA KA NA BA?” (Climate Change Adaptation: The Next Level) will certainly enhance the youths’ awareness on the effects of climate change to our environment and natural resources. According to PAGASA, the country’s average annual temperature of 26.6 °C is projected to increase by 0.9°C – 1.2°C by 2020 and 1.7 °C – 3.0 °C by 2050.

There will also be an increase in rainfall in most areas of Luzon and Visayas from 2 – 17% by 2020 and 1 – 16% by 2050 while Mindanao is projected to undergo a drying trend. There is also a projected impact of one meter sea-level rise in many areas of the country affecting coastal settlements and livelihood. NAMRIA also reported that the one meter sea-level rise can translate to an estimated land loss of 129,114 hectares. Of the 27.5 million hectares in the late 1500s, the country’s forest lands is currently at 7.2 million hectares or only 24.27 % of the country’s total land area due to indiscriminate logging, expansion of upland agriculture and unplanned land conversion.

Amidst all these projections, the Filipino Youth has a significant role to play. One simple yet challenging role of the youth is to help advocate the rehabilitation and management of Manila Bay and other similar bodies of water through proper segregation and disposal of wastes, planting of trees to ensure that other resources are not depleted, and other relevant interventions.

We, at the DENR-Manila Bay Coordinating Office, together with our partner agencies, are counting on the participation of the youth to be able to

effectively and efficiently comply with the expected outputs of clean-up, rehabilitation and restoration of the Manila Bay to

class SB level. Without a doubt, this will also help our country cope with the effects of climate change.

Mabuhay ang Kabataang Pinoy!

The most abundant resource we can utilize against climate change is always human resource. The more adept people are with climate change adaptation, the more chances we have in being successful in the battle against climate change.

It is education that plays an essential role in our battle against climate change for we are not only facing technological and social but educational challenges as well. Climate change adaptation in environmental education may be relatively new but it is high time that we make this mainstream.

The different climate change adaptation strategies, the relationship between the environmental problems here and abroad, the need for solidarity between the government and the public should surface in all environmental education strategies.

I urge all students, youth leaders, educators and the Local Government Units to take the lead. Starting from the bottom and working our way to the top is one of the most effective ways of involving more people in this environmental advocacy.

Let us strengthen the biggest resource we have by actively participating in enriching activities such as the Youth for Environment Summer Camp.

God bless us all!

I wish to welcome all participants to the 10th Youth for Environment Summer Camp (YES) Camp in the summer capital of the country as we make history in our quest for an environmentally-aware and action-oriented young citizenry who will continue our efforts for the environment for future generations.

Climate change is a crucial challenge that we face today and we

are calling on the youth to take on the challenge of adapting to it and mitigate its effects. The world does not give us a choice between mitigating climate change and adapting to it. The conditions and the recent environmental tragedies around us urgently call for us to do both. And both we must do for us to continue living in this world.

The Kabataang Sama-Samang Maglilingkod (KASAMA) Inc. is delighted to organize this environmental camp for our young leaders. It offers an excellent venue for the youth to explore the possible risks

which climate change may pose, and gives valuable input on how to build the capacity to deal with the risks.

May your journey to becoming more resilient and better prepared to deal with the challenges of climate change

start with the YES Camp. Mabuhay ang Kabataang Pinoy!

We thank the organizers of the Youth for Environment Summer (YES) Camp for engaging the Center for Future Leadership (CFL) in this annual national environmental event. We believe this is not just a coincidence because the environment is also one of our major advocacies along with entrepreneurship and leadership development which we hope we could propagate in the grassroots level.

Certainly, the most urgent challenge of this century is the irreversible change our climate is undergoing. Together with this change are the

many threats we will face that will practically affect every aspect of our life and the life of those who have yet to be born. These threats are beginning to manifest already through extreme and absurd weather patterns and deadly floods in the most unexpected places, among others.

It is therefore incumbent upon us all to prepare and be ready. This is the call of our times. And it will do us good if we are able to sincerely answer, individually and together, the most important question of all in this day and age – “Handa Ka Na Ba?” Our answer

will definitely determine the status of our preparedness and the degree of our proactive measures to ensure our survival.

So learn from the YES Camp. Make the most out of it. And when you have your fill of knowledge and skill, share what you have learned

to your family, your school and your community. Take on the challenge of climate change with sincere and concrete action daily.

Let us shape the future today. Mabuhay tayong lahat!

“Failing to prepare is preparing to fail,” Benjamin Franklin once said. These words ring true these days especially as we experience natural calamities and extreme weather conditions brought about by the changing climate. They are also appropriate and relevant to this year’s Youth for Environment Summer (YES) Camp as we discuss Climate Change Adaptation.

Indeed, preparation is important as we anticipate more climate change-induced risks and dangers. PAGASA has already showed us future climate scenarios and the various impacts these projections would likely have in our life. And with this bleak picture ahead of us, it would serve us well if we heed the call to seriously prepare and adapt.

We can start preparing and adapting as we contemplate on our answers to the question which this year’s YES Camp is asking. Handa Ka Na Ba? By trying to answer this question, we begin our process of preparation and adaptation. We realize we have so much to learn and do before we can ever confidently say that we are truly handa.

Let us learn from the YES Camp. Let this event be life-changing and character-defining for you in relation to Mother Earth. Let us prepare and adapt. The future is coming. We must not fail.

Mabuhay ang Kabataang Pinoy! God bless.

There are a lot of stories and movies that illustrate the idea of “end of the world” scenarios. Some researches and theories actually tell us about the life span of our living planet. Who would forget the blockbuster movie “2012” which predicted that the Earth will experience devastations and catastrophes this year with only few of us surviving? What if it happens to our real world? What if it happens today? Are we ready?

As yet, the nearest, scientific and possible “end of the world” scenario is laid out only by climate change. And it is getting serious by the day. With climate change around, the idea that the world will end becomes real. It will happen faster than we thought if we do not adapt to or do something about it, prepare and be ready for its effects. Human extinction is a logical possibility.

Adapting, doing something, preparing and being ready for climate change are the main focus of this year’s Youth for Environment Summer (YES) Camp as we level up from last year’s discussions. This is to underscore the severity and gravity of the challenges of climate change; our attitude should not be business as usual.

In itself, participating in the YES Camp and in other environmental activities is already our initial act of adapting, doing something, preparing and being ready for climate change. We need, however, to step forward and further to significant-ly respond with more real concrete action while stepping back to evaluate where we are wrong and unresponsive.

Together, we can save our world! May God bless us all!

Welcome to the 9th Youth for Environment Sum-mer Camp or simply YES CAMP. We are glad you all made it this year in this edition of the only na-tional youth environmental camp in the country today. This edition is truly special. This is the first time that we are holding our activities in prestigious venues such as this CAP-John Hay Cultural and Trade Center and the Baguio Country Club. For many of us who have been used to the charm of Benitez Hall of Teachers Camp, this may be our first opportunity to appreciate other venues in some ex-clusive places in Baguio City, free from the rants and rages of the usually crowded and noisy city life, and among the serene company of pine trees, greens and hills. As fellow environmentalists, we invested in this because we believe we all deserve something better – a better place, a better environment, a better and safer world – which is what we are fighting for despite the increasing threat of climate change and global warming.

Indeed, the world is under serious threat. The many disasters the world has seen in years serve to prove that we have been living dangerously, and only a few have realized it, including us.

In our country, disasters abound – flash floods, volcanic eruptions, landslides, typhoons. Add to these the ever-growing threats of an impending earthquake which experts predict to happen anytime.

What will happen next, I cannot fathom. Accord-ing to studies, the Philippines is a disaster waiting to

happen. It is the 7-11 of disasters – the convenience store of disasters. It is prone to calamities because it is situated in the Pacific Ring of Fire. We have volcanoes. We are in the typhoon belt. We are composed of thou-sands of islands, making us one of the most vulnerable countries in the world when it comes to climate change and global warming.

The question is – are we ready? Are we truly ready?

In the face of all these, we sincerely believe we should start to realize, first and foremost, that we need to adapt and to be ready. Our situation calls for a consciousness of adaptation and readiness when-ever and wherever. “Ako ay Handa”, so our theme says it all.

Before, whenever someone says he or she is ready, we readily accept that statement to be true. But now, after the spate of disasters happening around the globe, the same declaration is usually met with ex-pected doubt and disapproval. Not that we have be-come the skeptics of old; not that we have resigned our fate to destiny; not that we have become hope-less and helpless.

This cynical state of readiness is reasonable to a certain extent. A comparison to Japan which was touted to be most disaster-ready in Asia leaves us breathless. The way things are in the country, we are far below international standards in terms of readiness for calamities, natural or man-made. Our equipment are old and rusty; systems have yet to be made; and

politics still ruin the best intentions there are. Doomsayers say that when disaster strikes Metro Manila, it will be total chaos and disorder. That may be true under the circumstances.

In the Philippines, one’s level of readiness or being “handa” cannot be truly measured – and this is very uncomfortable. We hope to see the day when we can be like Japan in terms of readiness and more. We wish to see our government officials from all branch-es exude a kind of confidence that can come only from an honest assessment of the kind of prepa-rations we have developed for the country. We pray to see each one of us ready to face whatever climate change and disaster bring upon us.

This edition of the Youth for Environment Summer (YES) Camp engages us to be ready at all times in the face of the onslaught of natural catastrophes made worst by global warming and climate change and other disasters that today frequent us. Indeed, the consciousness of being ready should characterize and define our lives; it will save us, our future, and our world. AKO AY HANDA! That should give us the confidence to adapt and live through climate change and disasters.

Being ready is not just about waiting for dis-asters to happen and bracing ourselves to face and deal with it as it happens. One very impor-

tant aspect of preparedness or “pagiging handa” which we most often forget is being able to do something to stop these things from worsening or

at the very least, lessen its effects. We are happy with the multi-agency National

Greening Program of the national government which aims to plant 1.5 billion of trees in 1.5 million hec-tares of land in six years from 2011 to 2016 led by the Department of Environment and Natural Resourc-es. Imagine how many trees can be grown when 14 million pupils and students will participate in the pro-gram. Imagine how many more will be planted when our dear SK officials plant trees themselves and con-vince their fellow youth to do the same.

We are also happy with the ef-forts of the Kabataang Sama-Samang Maglilingkod or KASAMA in promoting the environment thru the Mr. and Ms.

Philippine Youth; with the achievements of Miriam Environmental Studies Institute in

preparing remote communities to be ready and in educating them to be environmentally-aware and responsive; with the advocacy of the Center for Fu-ture Leadership and The Master’s Lighthouse Foun-dation to champion the cause of the environment.

We thank this year’s YES-O awardees for com-mitting to engage our young to protect our environ-ment. We thank the officials of the City of Muntinlupa for taking the giant step in banning plastic bags and polystyrene in the city. We thank the administrators of the Sta. Ana Public Market in Manila for prioritiz-ing a water treatment facility in order to help in the rehabilitation of the Pasig River. We thank the social entrepreneurs behind Kawayan Tech and Bamb Eco-logical Technology for building bamboo bikes; Iliac Diaz for his innovations to lower carbon footprints.

We thank the Japanese people for inspiring us and showing us good examples on how to effectively deal with disasters. We thank the officials and volunteers of the Philippine Red Cross for helping us through different disasters.

Like them, we can do something good for the environment. Like them, we can protect our-

selves and others from disasters. Like them, we can do the big gesture of committing our

lives to environmental causes and of helping others in times of disasters. Like them, we can adapt and change accordingly. Like them, we

can make this world a safer place to live in. Like them, we can make a big difference.

We still have time to prepare for disasters. We

still have time to adapt. And as young people, we still have so much time to plant indigenous trees, segregate our wastes, live a greener life and reduce our carbon footprints. As young people, we can do so much as part of our intergenerational responsibility to ensure future generations will enjoy a safer and better place.

Ako ay Handa! Thank you and God Bless!

collageVP Jejomar Binay

Tippy dos Santos

Karylle

Dr. Neric Acosta

Sam Concepcion

Gerald Santos

Sec. Bebeth Gozun

Paul Montecillo

Princes Velasco

Morissette

Jolina Magdangal

Philippine All Stars

Jaco BeninKrissy

Spongecola

Zia Quizon

RED Clarence Baguilat

Maria Magnolia Danganan

Joey G. Pelaez

Gerald A. Ortiz

Anthony Pangilinan

Handa Ka Na Ba?

This is the all-too-familiar question we are often asked to ascertain the degree of our readiness for and preparedness in anything.

Handa Ka Na Ba Talaga?

We insist. We want to be sure and definite.

The question sometimes finds us dumbfounded, staggered and tentative because we are simply not ready even with the question itself. We say we are never too ready for anything. We can prepare but confronted with the situation in its vivid details, we suddenly realize we are nowhere near the foothold of readiness.

Who could be ready during this era of consequence? And, as we face the changing climate and its grim effects on our way of life, when can we really say we are ready?

Or perhaps, we do not know what it is we need to be ready for.

Certainly, knowing what we should be ready for is an advantage we have over other creation. And it is the beginning of our salvation from human extinction as we face the real threat of climate change. It is our saving grace, an assurance for our continued human existence.

Remember Ondoy. It helped us understand what we need to know about our present world.

The next level speaks of our need to act with all the generous considerations for the minutest details in our life. This is where the difference lies. We may know everything about what threats we need to face. We may have the exact science to guide us along the way. But without the necessary action to adapt, our presence on earth could be short-lived.

Remember Sendong. It helped us understand that we need to seriously adapt to the changing climate.

Handang-Handa Ka Na Ba Talaga? Then Act Now!

For the first time in many years after cli-mate change has swept our country by storm, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, or PAGASA, presents to us a report that, in the words of its Administrator Dr. Nathaniel T. Servando, “provides us with the opportunity to understand the FUTURE changes in climate and how these changes will affect the Philippines in the future.” This important document, entitled Climate Change in the Philippines, “also illus-trates the impacts of climate change on agricul-ture, human health, water, coastal, and forestry resources as well as adaptation efforts in each sector.”

Whereas before when PAGASA simply warns us of impending weather disturbances and its accompanying dangers, a task which seems pretty mechanical and boring for ordinary per-sons, this time around it gives us the science and all the facts upon which to prepare and be ready today by looking at FUTURE CLIMATE CHANGE SCENARIOS in the present. Whereas before when PAGASA became known only for its gloomy performance in weather forecasting and in connection with actress Tessie Tomas’s witty and comedic PAGASA-A remarks, now it is making hay and stack in keeping our country on its feet, safe, sound and climate change adaptive.

For a country uniquely susceptible and vul-nerable to the threats of climate change, this report of PAGASA brings us closer to a “planned proactive adaptation” which is being recom-mended in order to “climate-proof” develop-ment plans, projects and activities. How do we achieve a planned proactive adaptation? In a general sense, PAGASA outlines the following:

1. Project future climates through climate simu-lations using the PRECIS (Providing Region-al Climates for Impact Studies) model in two time frames; 2020 and 2050. This, in fact, provided detailed information on plausible future climates such as changes in tem-peratures, rainfall and frequency of extreme weather events.

2. Use these science-based information or cli-mate scenarios to assess climate change im-pact, vulnerability and adaptation.

3. Quantify risks and identify opportunities and/

or challenges early to assist decision/policy makers in managing the risks and in taking advantage of potential benefits.

(A Summary Based on a Document Published by PAGASA in 2011.)

• The Philippines, like most parts of the globe, has also exhibited increasing temperatures.

• During the period of 1951 to 2010, there was an increase of 0.648 °C or an average of 0.0108 °C per year increase.

• During the last 60 years, maximum (or day-time) temperatures and minimum (or night time) temperatures are seen to have in-creased by 0.36 °C and 1.0 °C, respectively.

• An average of 20 tropical cyclones form and/or cross the Philippine Area of Responsibil-ity (PAR) per year. The trend shows a high variability over the decades but there is no indication of increase in the frequency. How-ever, there is a very slight increase in the number of tropical cyclones with maximum sustained winds of greater than 150kph and

above (typhoon category) being exhibited during El Niño event.

• The analysis on tropical cyclone passage over the three main islands (Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao) shows that there has been a slight increase in the Visayas.

• Analysis of extreme daily maximum and minimum temperatures (hot-days index and cold nights index, respectively) shows there are statistically significant increasing num-ber of hot days but decreasing number of cool nights.

• The trends of increases or decreases in ex-treme daily rainfall are not statistically sig-nificant; although, there have been changes in extreme rain events in certain areas in the Philippines.

Type ITwo Pronounced season Dry from November to April and wet during the rest of the year.

Type IINo dry season with a very pro-nounced maximum rainfall; Rainfall during the months of November to December.

Type IIISeasons not very pronounced rela-tively dry from November to April and wet for the rest of the year.

Type IVRainfall more or less evenly distrib-uted through out the year.

Climate Map of the PhilippinesBased on ModifiedCoronas ClimateClassification ( 1951-2003)

AREAS/SECTOR IMPACTS ADAPTATION STRATEGIES NEEDED

Water Resources • Large decreases in rainfall and longer drier periods will affect the amount of water in watersheds and dams which provide irrigation services to farmers, thereby limiting agricultural production.

• Energy production from dams could also be ren-dered insufficient in those areas where rainfall is projected to decrease, and thus, could largely af-fect the energy sufficiency program of the coun-try.

• In areas where rainfall could be intense during wet periods, flooding events would follow and may pose danger to human settlements and in-frastructure, in terms of landslides and mudslides, most especially, in geologically weak areas.

• These flooding events could impact severely on public infrastructure, such as roads and bridges, including classrooms, evacuation centers, and hospitals.

• Design of infrastructure, particularly of dams, will need to be revisited to ensure that these will not be severely affected by the projected longer drier periods.

• Rational water management.• Planning to avoid mismatch between

water supply and demand through poli-cies.

• Upgrading/Rehabilitation of dams where these are cost-effective.

• Changes in cropping patters in agricul-tural areas.

• Establishing rain water collection facili-ties, where possible.

• Early warning systems.

Forestry • Changes in rainfall regimes and patterns resulting to increase/decrease in water use and tempera-ture increases could lead to a change in the forest ecosystem, particularly in areas where the rains are severely limited, and can no longer provide favorable conditions for highly sensitive species.

• Some of our forests could face die-backs.• Drier periods and warmer temperatures, especial-

ly during the warm phase of El Niño events, could cause forest fires.

• A very likely threat to communities that largely depend on the ecological services provided by for-ests is that they may face the need to alter their traditions and livelihoods. This change in practices and behavior can lead to further degradation of the environment as they resort to more extensive agricultural production in already degraded areas.

• Adverse impacts on forestry areas and resources could be expected to multiply in a future warmer world.

• Indigenous communities have to plan for climate-resilient alternative liveli-hoods.

• It is highly important to plan for rational forest management, particularly in pro tected areas and in ancestral domains.

• One of the more important issues to consider is how to safeguard livelihoods in affected communities so as not to further exacerbate land degradation.

• Early warning systems in this sector will play a very important role in forest pro-tection through avoidance and control/containment of forest fires.

Agriculture • Crops have been shown to suffer decreases in yields whenever temperatures have exceeded threshold values.

• In areas where rain patterns change or when ex-treme events such as floods or droughts happen more often, grain and other agricultural produce could suffer shortfalls.

• Tropical cyclones, particularly if there will be an increase in numbers and/or strength will continue to exert pressure on agricultural production.

• Temperature increases coupled with rainfall changes could affect the incidence/outbreaks of pests and diseases, both in plants and animals.

• In the fisheries sub-sector, migration of fish to cooler and deeper waters would force the fisher folks to travel further from the coasts in order to increase their catch.

• Decreases yields and inadequate job opportuni-ties in the agricultural sector because of tempera-ture changes could lead to migration and shifts in population, resulting in more pressure in already depressed urban areas.

• Food security will largely be affected. Insufficient food supply could further lead to more malnutri-tion, higher poverty levels, and possibly, height-ened social unrest and conflict in certain areas in the country, and even among the indigenous tribes.

• Management technologies should be put in place to mitigate reduction in crop yield.

• Research should focus on the pathways through which diseases and pests could be triggered and rendered most favora-ble to spread.

• Timely, effective and efficient interven-tions should be put in place to address food security in the future.

• Horizontal and vertical diversification of crops.

• Farmer field schools which incorporate use of weather/climate information in agricultural operations.

• Policy environment for subsidies and cli-mate-friendly agricultural technologies, weather-based insurance, and others.

• Research and development agenda on resilient marine sector could form part of long-term planning.

Coastal Resources • Sea level rise is highly likely in a changing climate, and low-lying islands will face permanent inunda-tion in the future.

• The combined effects of continued temperature increases, changes in rainfall and accelerated sea level rise, and tropical cyclone occurrences includ-ing the associated storm surges would expose coastal communities to higher levels of threat to life and property.

• The livelihood of coastal communities would be threatened in terms of further stress to their fish-ing opportunities, loss of productive agricultural lands and saltwater intrusion, among others.

• Impact and vulnerability assessment as well as adaptation planning for coastal areas are of high priority.

• Adaptation measures range from physi-cal structures such as sea walls where they still are cost-effective, to develop-ment and/or revision of land use plans using risk maps as the basis, to early warning systems for severe weather, in-cluding advisories on storm surge prob-abilities, as well as planning for and developing resilient livelihoods where traditional fishing and/or agriculture are no longer viable.

Health • Incremental increases in temperatures and rain regimes could trigger –

-the outbreak and spread of water-based and vector-borne diseases leading to higher morbidity and mortality; and,

-increased incidence of pulmonary illness among young children and cardiovascular diseases among the elderly.

• There could also be increased health risk from poor air quality especially in urbanized areas.

• Surveillance systems and infrastructure for moni-toring and prevention of epidemics could also be under severe stress when there is a confluence of circumstances.

• Hospitals and clinics, and evacuation centers and resettlement areas could also be severely affected under increased frequency and intensity of severe weather events.

• Malnutrition is expected to become more se-vere with more frequent occurrences of extreme events that disrupt food supply and provision of health services.

• The services of the Department of Health will be severely tested.

• Early and periodic assessments of plau-sible impacts of climate change as re-gards health should be undertaken.

• Improved health infrastructures should be included in the planning.

A warmer world is certain to impact on systems and sectors; although, magnitude of impacts will depend on fac-tors such as sensitivity, exposure and adaptive capacity to climate risks. IN MOST CASES, LIKELY IMPACTS WILL BE ADVERSE. Long-term proactive planning and cost-effective adaptation options for these possible impacts are imperative in order to be able to respond effectively, and avoid maladaptations.

The devastations wrought by Typhoons Ondoy and Sendong which brought abnormal amount of rains in Metro Manila and the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan, including the dangers of constant flooding caused by heavy rains in major cities of the coun-try, prompted officials of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration or PAGASA to consider devising a rainstorm warning system similar to Hong Kong.

Below is Hong Kong’s Rainstorm Warning System which could help the country adapt to the increasing amount and frequency of rains in most parts of the country.

Rainstorm Warning SystemThe rainy season in Hong Kong is normally between

April and September. Rain could be particularly heavy and persistent during May and June, causing severe traffic disruption and on occasions major floods and landslips resulting in casualties.

The rainstorm warning system is designed to alert the public about the occurrence of heavy rain which is likely to bring about major disruptions, and to ensure a state of readiness within the essential services to deal with emergencies. It is independent of other severe weather warnings such as tropical cyclone warning and landslip warning, which will be issued separately where necessary.

There are three levels of warning: AMBER, RED and BLACK.

The AMBER signal gives alert about potential heavy rain that may develop into RED or BLACK signal situations. There will be flooding in some low-lying and poorly drained areas. Key Government depart-

ments and major transport and utility operators are put on alert.

The RED and BLACK signals warn the public of heavy rain which is likely to bring about serious road flooding and traffic congestion. They will trigger response actions by Government departments and major transport and utility operators. The public will be given clear advice on the appropriate actions to take.

Once issued, the signals are broadcast over radio and television. For your own safety, listen to radio or television announcements for the latest information.

GUIDE TO THE RAINSTORM SIGNALS

AMBER RAINSTORM SIGNALHeavy rain has fallen or is expected to

fall generally over Hong Kong, exceeding 30 millimetres in an hour, and is likely to continue.

ACTION

Members of the public should take necessary precautions to reduce their exposure to risk posed by heavy rain, such as flooding.

Parents, students, school authorities and school-bus drivers should listen to radio or television announcements on the weather, road and traffic con-ditions.

Candidates for public examinations should attend the examination as normal, but should listen to radio or watch television in case the weather deteriorates suddenly.

Employers are advised not to require their employ-ees to go to work unless prior agreement on work arrangements during rainstorms has been made.

People who are already at work should stay where they are unless it is dangerous to do so.

SPECIAL ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN FOR RED/BLACK SIGNAL

Students should stay home or, if already at school, should remain there until the end of school hours and conditions are safe for them to return home.

If the RED/BLACK signal is issued when some stu-dents have set out for school -

School-bound students should normally proceed to school unless the road or traffic conditions ahead are not safe.

School-bus drivers should listen to radio broad-casts on the latest development of the rainstorm and ensure that students are taken to a safe place, normally the school, unless road or traffic conditions ahead warrant otherwise.

Schools should arrange to be open and appropri-ately staffed to look after any students arriving until it is safe for them to return home.

Candidates for public examinations should listen to radio or watch television for an announcement to be made by the Hong Kong Examinations Authority.

Drivers should beware that there are likely to be serious road flooding and traffic congestion.

People should avoid going near easily flooded wa-tercourses or passing through flooded areas. People whose home may be seriously flooded should con-sider evacuating their home until the rain has eased and flood water subsided.

NOTES ON ISSUANCE OF THE WARNING SIGNALS

The rainfall criteria for the issuance of rainstorm warning signals are for guidance only. When pro-longed rain occurs, the signals may be issued even if these rainfall criteria are not breached for individual hours.

The Observatory will make an effort to issue the AMBER signal a couple of hours ahead of anticipated heavy rain. However, this lead time may be consider-ably shorter in case the heavy rain develops rapidly. Not all AMBER signals will be followed by RED.

The Observatory will endeavor to issue the RED and BLACK signals before the specified rainfall lev-els are reached. However, local severe rainstorms are extremely difficult to forecast. The lead time will generally be very short. There will even be situations in which a RED signal is issued without a preceding AMBER. Similarly, a BLACK may be issued without a preceding RED.

Reference:http://www.hko.gov.hk/wservice/warning/rainstor.html

Farmers and fish pond owners, particularly those in low lying or flood frequented areas, should take the necessary precautions to minimise losses, which include checking and clearing the drainage system within and around the farm/fish ponds to ensure that all the drains are not blocked. Where possible, fish pond operators should reduce the water level of ponds which are likely to be flooded.

RED RAINSTORM SIGNAL Heavy rain has fallen or is expected to

fall generally over Hong Kong, exceeding 50 millimetres in an hour, and is likely to continue.

ACTION

Employees working outdoors in areas exposed to rain should suspend outdoor duties if weather condi-tions in those areas so warrant.

People who have to travel should carefully con-sider weather and road conditions.

If the RED signal is issued before working hours, employees should report for duty as usual, provided that transport services are available. Supervisors are encouraged to adopt a flexible attitude in case their staff have genuine difficulties in arriving at work on time.

If the RED signal is issued during office hours, em-ployees working indoors should remain on duty as usual unless it is dangerous to do so. Employees in areas where transport services are about to be sus-pended can be exceptionally released at the discre-tion of the supervisor. In exercising their discretion, supervisors should take into account the weather and road conditions.

BLACK RAINSTORM SIGNAL Very heavy rain has fallen or is expected

to fall generally over Hong Kong, exceed-ing 70 millimetres in an hour, and is likely to continue.

ACTION

Stay indoors or take shelter in a safe place until the heavy rain has passed.

Employees working outdoors in exposed areas should stop work and take shelter.

People having no safe place to go may take tem-porary refuge in any of the special temporary shelters opened by the Home Affairs Department.

She cares for the environment. Not just because she was Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in the past administration. Not just because she is the Presidential Assistant for Cli-mate Change in the present administration.

She genuinely cares for the environment. Not just because she has a Master of Science Degree in En-vironmental Management Program. Not just because she has a doctorate in environmental management, honoris causa.

Without a doubt, she cares for the environment.

She was a recipient of the prestigious “Champions of the Earth” award last 2007 given by United Nation En-vironment Programme (UNEP). This award is given to environmental leaders who showed exceptional effort towards the protection of the environment. Her contri-bution in the creation and implementation of Ecowatch Program helped her win this award. Ecowatch Program pushes public disclosure of a company’s environmental performance. It uses a color-coding system that sig-naled how much damage a company was doing to the environment.

The other recipients of the prestigious award in-clude Cherif Rahmani of Algeria, Al Gore of the United States, Viveka Bohn of Sweden, Marina Silva of Brazil, Prince Hassan Bin Talal of Jordan, and Jacques Rogge of the International Olympic Committee. Achim Steiner of UNEP said: “The seven winners honored this even-ing are from different corners of the planet and drawn from different backgrounds and experiences. But they share a common sense of purpose and of values, namely to reject the status quo, to persist where others may have failed and faltered, and to deliberately seize

the opportunities to promote more intelligent ways of managing development that balances the economic, social and environmental realities of the 21st century.”

She has a complete grasp of her role as an en-vironmental leader. “Environmental leadership is really a difficult balancing act. It’s not just the environment that we are looking out for, but also the social and eco-nomic aspect of that development,” said Ms. Gozun in her lecture at UP National College of Public Administra-tion and Governance (NCPAG). “We cannot have long term economic development unless we protect the en-vironment, and on the other hand the environment will really suffer if we do not have economic development.”

Her contributions to the country’s environmental efforts are relevant. Her diverse exposure to environ-mental management included working on solid waste management, air pollution, industrial pollution pre-vention control, environmental communications, and environmental policy. She has been a Chairperson of the multi-sectoral Partnership for Clean Air, President of Concerned Citizens Against Pollution (COCAP), Vice President of the Solid Waste Management Association of the Philippines (SWAPP), and Executive Director of the Earth Day Network in the Philippines. Also, she has been a consultant to international projects for the Asian Development Bank, UN-Habitat, USAID, and the World Bank.

Her passion for the environment is limitless and consuming; her dedication is inspiring. As the present Presidential Assistant for Climate Change, she assists the country in its efforts for Climate Change Mitiga-tion and Adaptation, updating our knowledge of this environmental phenomenon and finding ways to get people and local communities to work hand in hand to contribute in creating solutions and to get us ready.

Truly, she cares for the environment. And she cares for us.

The Supreme Court of the Philippines may be in the hot seat of this year’s unfolding national drama owing to the impeachment trial of the Chief Justice, yet no one will ever deny that this institution is genuinely a knight in shining armor of Mother Earth. The following decided cases explain why.

Minors Oposa et. al. versus Factoran (G.R. No. 101083, 30 July 1993)

According to lawyer Dean Antonio G. M. La Viña in his lecture on Constitutional Law delivered on 8 March 1994 at the University of the Philippines, “Oposa versus Factoran is our first case which expressly interprets the constitutional right to a balanced and healthful ecology found in the 1987 Constitution. It is also the first and so far the only Philippine case which deals with the issue of how to value our natural resources not only with respect to the present but also for the future gen-erations (principle of intergenerational responsibility). Hence, the Oposa case is a landmark decision for this reason.”

In this case, the Supreme Court upheld the primacy of every citizen’s right under Section 16, Article II of the 1987 Philippine Constitution which provides that the State shall protect and advance the right of the people to a balanced and healthful ecology in accord with the rhythm and harmony of nature. It said that:

While the right to a balanced and healthful ecol-ogy is to be found under the declaration of Prin-ciples and State Policies and not under the Bill of Rights, it does not follow that it is less important than any of the civil and political rights enumer-ated in the latter. Such a right belongs to a different category of rights altogether for it concerns nothing less than self-preservation and self-perpetuation - the advancement of which may even be said to predate all gov-ernments and constitutions. As a matter of fact, these basic rights need not even be written in the Constitution for they are assumed to exist from the inception of mankind. If they are now explicitly mentioned in the fundamental charter, it is because of the well-founded fear of its framers that unless the rights to a balanced and healthful ecology and to health are mandated as state poli-cies by the Constitution itself, thereby highlighting their continuing importance and imposing upon the state a solemn obligation to preserve the first and protect and advance the second, the day would not be too far when all else would be lost not only for the present generation, but also for those to come - generations which stand to inherit nothing but parched earth incapable of sustaining life.

MMDA versus Concerned Residents of Manila Bay (G.R. Nos. 171947-48, 18 December 2008)

In this case, the Supreme Court put to task and compelled various government agencies led by the De-partment of Environment and Natural Resources, in-cluding the Department of Education, the Department of the Interior and Local Government and such other agencies, to implement pertinent environmental laws to help in the clean-up and/or restoration of Manila Bay. It monitors compliance with and the progress of the implementation of its directives under the principle of “continuing mandamus”. It said that:

The clean-up and/or restoration of the Manila Bay is only an aspect and initial stage of the long-term solution. The preservation of the water qual-ity of the bay after the rehabilitation process is as important as the cleaning phase. It is imperative then that the wastes and contaminants found in the rivers, inland bays, and other bodies of wa-ter be stopped from reaching the Manila Bay. Oth-erwise, any clean-up effort would just be a futile, cosmetic exercise, for, in no time at all the Manila Bay water quality would again deteriorate. It thus behooves the Court to put the heads of the con-cerned agencies on continuing notice about, and to enjoin them to perform, their mandates and duties towards cleaning up the Manila Bay and preserving the quality of its water to the ideal level under the doctrine of continuing mandamus.

For the Department of Education-Center for Stu-dents and Co-Curricular Affairs (DepEd-CSCA) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Special Concerns Office-Youth Desk (DENR-SCO-YD), this case is a happy development. The efforts of the Supreme Court to use its powers to compel govern-ment agencies to work together for Manila Bay in par-ticular and the environment in general underscored our advocacy for youth environmental activism. More than ever, it strengthened the implementation of the Youth for Environment in Schools (YES) Program with the is-suance of DepEd Order No. 52, s. 2011 (Strengthening Environmental Education in Public and Private Schools and DepEd Order No. 93, s. 2011 (Mandated Programs, Projects and Activities, Various Forms, and Targets Per-tinent to the Youth for Environment in Schools (YES) Program.

For the Department of the Interior and Local Gov-ernment, this case means enabling all Local Govern-ment Units and the Sangguniang Kabataan to take seriously their significant role in local and national cli-mate change mitigation and adaptation efforts.

The DENR Youth Desk was created to meet the needs of its youth constituents for

information and active participation as caretakers and guardians of the environment. Headed by Ms. Ma-ria Magnolia Q. Danganan, it is composed of designat-ed Youth Desk Officers from the central, bureau and regional offices of the DENR to implement the DENR Integrated Youth Program.

The DENR Youth Desk aims to (1) generate aware-

ness and enhance critical thinking among the youth in issues concerning and affecting the environment with-in the framework of sustainable development; and (2) encourage the active participation of the youth in the different levels of environmental action through rel-evant and sustainable projects and the formulation of policy and measures that affect the environment and natural resources.

It implements environmental youth programs such as Green Brigade, Eco Corps, Youth for Environment in Schools Program and Youth for Environment Summer Camp.

The Green Brigade, a barangay-based environmen-tal program for youth age 15-25, aims to advance en-vironmental activism among Filipino youth. It is being implemented pursuant to Executive Order No. 52, se-ries of 1998.

Eco-corps, on the other hand, is a training pro-gram composed of modules consisting of 52 hours of lectures and hands-on exercises on community work that revolve on various environmental concerns. The modules, which will help the youth in deepening their understanding of the environment, are presently un-dergoing pretesting in various universities.

The Youth for Environment in Schools (YES) Pro-gram is implemented in partnership with the Depart-ment of Education. The Youth Desk helps in the tech-nical aspects of school-based environmentalism while assisting DepEd monitor the implementation of the YES Program.

The Youth for Environment Summer (YES) Camp is an annual youth camp to mobilize renewed youth participation and action to protect, preserve, conserve and rehabilitate our environment. Implemented with the Department of Education and the Kabataang Sa-ma-Samang Maglilingkod, Inc., DENR Youth Desk has been successful in instilling the values of environmen-talism early in the young and in securing the environ-ment for future generations.

In terms of lasting impact to the youth, the contribu-tions of the DENR Youth Desk are genuinely immense and significant. Without them, who else will take care of the youth’s environmental formation?

The Supreme Court’s decision in the case of Metro Manila Development Authority versus Con-cerned Residents of Manila Bay which issued a “Continuing Mandamus” to various government agencies to rehabilitate Manila Bay highlighted the Department of Education’s own environmental efforts and its commitment to environmental education among the young.

In response to the Court’s mandamus, DepEd through the Center for Students and Co-Curricular Affairs conducted several environment-related activities in different parts of the country.

It kicked off with the Youth for Environment in Schools (YES) Program One-Day Strategic Plan-ning Conference held at the Meralco Mini-Theater, Meralco Center, Pasig City on August 17, 2011. At-tendees included elementary and secondary Divi-sion and Regional Science Education Supervisors of the regions surrounding Manila Bay namely Re-gions III, IV-A and the National Capital Region. Forty (40) Division Science Education Supervisors and five (5) Regional Science Education Supervi-sors took part in this activity. Presenters from the Manila Bay Coordinating Office, DENR and DepEd discussed topics including the Supreme Court’s decision itself, the current status of Manila Bay and what the government has been doing to re-habilitate it.

On September 5-9, 2011, DepEd conducted the Youth for Environment in Schools (YES) Program Strategic Planning Conference at the Gardens of Malasag Eco-Tourism Village, in Cugman, Cagayan de Oro City. All regions were represented in this

conference including elementary and secondary education supervisors and the presidents of the Regional Federation of Supreme Student Govern-ments. The Department of Environment and Natu-ral Resources gave their full support by sending speakers from the Special Concerns Office-Youth Desk and the Manila Bay Coordinating Office, in-cluding a representative from DENR Region X. The event was made memorable with the presentation of Presidential Assistant for Climate Change Elisea G. Gozun.

The saga continued with the Youth for Envi-ronment in Schools (YES) Program One-Day Orien-tation and Planning Workshop for Public Second-ary Schools on November 12, 2011 which catered to participants within Region IV-A with emphasis on schools located in provinces and cities that are direct waste feeders of Manila Bay. The activity was held at the Pedro Guevara Memorial National High School, Santa Cruz, Laguna with 264 partici-pants.

The Youth for Environment in Schools (YES) Program One-Day Orientation and Planning Work-shop for Public Secondary Schools in NCR was held in two batches on December 1 and on December 2, 2011 at the DENR Social Hall, DENR Compound, Quezon City. The first batch saw 350 participants from 115 schools and the second batch had 336 participants coming from 113 schools composed of YES-O officers, advisers and science depart-ment heads.

For Region III, the Youth for Environment in Schools (YES) Program One-Day Orientation and Planning Workshop for Public Secondary Schools was held at the Bulwagang Kapampangan on March 22, 2012 with more than 350 participants.

Young celebrities also took part in DepEd’s en-

vironmental crusade by taking part in the Youth for Environment in Schools (YES) Program School Tours held in ten (10) public and private schools in the province of Misamis Oriental on March 14, 2012 and in five (5) public schools in the cities of San Fernando and Angeles on March 22, 2012. Ivan Dorschnerr of Pinoy Big Brother fame and TV5 artists Morissette Amon, Gerald Santos and Fred Lo visited a total of fifteen schools and en-couraged more than 20,000 students to join the Youth for Environment in Schools-Organization to help save Mother Earth in their own little ways.

The Youth for Environment in Schools (YES) Program recently got a boost with the implementation of the landmark decision of the Supreme Court entitled Metro Manila Development Authority versus Concerned Residents of Manila Bay.

As a result of the “continuing mandamus” of the highest court of the land, Undersecretary for Legal Affairs Atty. Alberto T. Muyot caused the issuance of DepEd Order No. 52, s. 2011 otherwise known as “Strengthening Environmental Education in Public and Private Schools” as part of the Department of Education’s compliance to the orders of the Supreme Court. Among others, this Order mandates all public and private elementary and secondary schools nationwide to establish their respective Youth for

Environment in Schools-Organization (YES-O), requiring them to implemen pertinent environmen-tal programs, projects and activities, and to submit reports relative thereto on which the YES Awards will be based. These re-ports are in turn submitted to the Supreme Court.

Pursuant to DepEd Order No. 52, s. 2011, the Center for Students and Co-Curricular Affairs caused the issuance of DepEd Order No. 93, s. 2011 also known as “Mandated Programs, Projects and Ac-tivities, Five-Year Targets, and Various Forms Pertinent to the Youth for Environment in Schools (YES) Pro-gram”. This Order was a product of the Youth for Envi-ronment in Schools (YES) Program Strategic Planning Conference held in Cagayan de Oro City in September last year participated by elementary and secondary Education Supervisors in Science who are also the des-ignated YES Program Regional Coordinators.

This latest DepEd issuance completes the policy requirements needed to strengthen DepEd’s efforts for the environment. What leaves to be done is our concerted action and strong implementation to make these issuances alive in our respective schools and communities.

inquirer

There is a trend in the country that’s pick-ing up by the day. And it’s not one that con-cerns another hot fashion, new dance craze or a catchy song. Call it crazy and at the same time revolutionary, but it is one that involves plastics and anything similar or related!

Banning these materials has become a fad among Local Government Units (LGUs) and National Government Agencies (NGAs). Like mushrooms on a gregarious day, news on televisions and broadsheets feature one city or municipality or province or a national gov-ernment agency after another that approve ordinances or adopt measures regulating or prohibiting the use of plastics, polystyrene (styrofoam) and other styro products.

Available news reports suggest that Muntin-lupa is the first city in Metro Manila to approve an ordinance in 2010 and implement in 2011 a prohibition on the use of plastic and styrofoam packaging materials for dry and wet goods by business establishments within the city. Out-side of Metro Manila, Los Baños in Laguna

started the ban in 2008.

To be sure, a lot more are joining the no-plastics bandwagon. Pasay City and Pasig City passed a similar ordinance banning the use of plastic bags in retail stores. Quezon City re-cently approved the same measure. Las Piñas did the same thing. Makati will be implement-ing the ban next year. Similar measures are being proposed in the cities of Caloocan, Ma-nila, Mandaluyong and Valenzuela.

Similar measures are being implemented in Antipolo, Rizal; Carmona, General Trias and Imus in Cavite; Lucban and Infanta in Quezon; Batangas City; Sto. Tomas in Batangas, Biñan in Laguna; Bulacan; Leyte; Burgos, Pangasi-nan; Sta. Barbara in Iloilo; and Koronadal City in South Cotabato.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines has banned the use of Styrofoam and cellophane food containers inside Camp Aguinaldo in sup-port to the government’s campaign against the use of non-biodegradable materials and

replace them with biodegradable containers. A similar ban is in effect in the offices of the Department of Environment and Natural Re-sources. A lot more government offices are planning to adopt the same measure.

To cap all these local initiatives, a national legislation in the Senate and House of Repre-sentatives is being pushed to regulate the use of plastics.

Plastics and its allied materials are every-where in the country. Like regular habitués, they inhabit markets, malls and trade estab-lishments. The convenience they provide, however, is far outweighed by the damage they cause to life, property and the environ-ment.

The collective experience during Ondoy, Pepeng, Reming and other destructive ty-phoons shows the extraordinary role of plas-tics and similar materials in aggravating the effects of excess rainwater that causes floods in the metropolis. They clog waterways and drainage systems, preventing the free flow of flood waters into bigger bodies of water, in-undating homes, schools, churches and build-ings, and destroying infrastructures such as roads, bridges and other community facilities. They dock on roofs and trees and hang them-selves on fences, walls, lampposts and electric wires after every typhoon or flood, the odd sight serving as a grim reminder of human de-pendence on plastics which take as much as 20 years before decomposing.

Consider further the following:

80% of the trash from the country’s shore-lines is made up of non-biodegradable mate-rials such as plastic and rubber according to the data from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. The bulk of the more than 8,000 metric tons of garbage collected in Metro Manila on a daily basis is comprised of plastics, says the Metropolitan Manila De-velopment Authority. Environment advocacy groups reveals in 2010 that 75.55% of the to-tal volume of trash in Manila Bay was plastic discards, mostly plastic bags, and polystyrene

(Styrofoam) products. (Note that Manila Bay is a catch basin of Regions III, IV-A and National Capital Region.)

The advocacy to regulate the proliferation of plastics and diminish its role in our daily lives which took root from the initiatives of LGUs and NGAs cannot now be ignored. We can do our share in making this advocacy of national application and importance. Let your LGUs do the same.

In this day and age of consequence wrought by global warming and climate change, we should and must change our old ways. We can start with plastics, and make the no-plastics advocacy trend among Filipinos everyday.

As students and caretakers of Mother Earth, we commit to:

Plant native, endemic and indigenous species of trees, including fruit trees;

Use plastics only when necessary;Turn-off lights and appliances when not

in use;Clean our school and community;Throw garbage properly and segregate;Reduce, reuse and recycle; Protect streams, rivers and other bodies

of water, and air from pollution;Encourage others to do their share for the

environment.

This is our commitment to ourselves, our family, our community and our country to achieve a balanced and healthful ecology for our present generation and the future generations to come.

So help us God.

Have you ever encountered a similar pop-up reminder whenever you need to print something from the internet? Well, like it or not, this innovation comes in handy to remind us to think again, and really give it a serious thought, if we really have to use another paper for the information we need.

If only this pop-up reminders in the net could just pop-up in our mind every time we do things we are used to do before, our world would have been better and the changing climate would have existed only in our imagination. But this is not always the case. Most of us would prefer the status quo – print in wild abandon no matter the consequence in terms of the inks and the papers that we use.

To be sure, there are a lot of instances or

opportunities around us that instruct us to think green by giving every decision, before we make it, more environmental consideration or thought.

Thinking green is about asking the question, listening to ourselves and making the right de-cision after weighing the consequences.

QUESTIONCONSEQUENCE TO

A NO ANSWER A YES ANSWERShould I turn on the lights even if daylight is suffi-cient for my pur-pose?

I save energy. I use up more energy than I should. Govern-ment needs to approve more energy production which includes coal-fired power plants which use more carbon that pollutes the earth.

Should I reuse my jeans until it needs to be washed?

I will use more laundry soaps and water. I will pol-lute the rivers and other bodies of water where the used water with soap will drain.

I will be able to save on money to buy laundry soaps and water, including payment for the laundry-woman or ener-gy consumption when using wash-ing machine.

Should I buy a shirt even if I have many in my cabinet?

I will be able to save money, raw materials and en-ergy in the pro-duction of a shirt.

Production will increase which means an in-crease in the use of limited resourc-es.

Thinking green is changing the way we do things before. And it starts by re-thinking every-thing with the consequences in mind. The impact may be little individually but if we do it altogether and collectively, we can make a difference.

Thinking green is the new lifestyle. You are cool if you think green.

The climate is changing and the clock is ticking. If we go by the cli-mate projections of PAGASA, preparations for climate resiliency should have been underway a long time ago. Judging from the recent tragedy brought by Sendong, however, it gives an impression that our Local Government Units have not been taking climate change seriously. The readiness of our barangays and communities is put to serious doubt when one counts the number of casualties, homeless and orphaned, including damage to properties and in-frastructures.

It is therefore high time for Local Government Units to make realistic assessment as to their preparedness to the impacts of climate change, and to include climate change mitiga-tion and adaptation efforts in their plans. This is very important considering that the effects of climate change go beyond the weather; it also concerns food security, water sufficiency, health issues and many others. Further, today’s weather trends and patterns make it im-possible for accurate predictions that adeptly warn people of dangers. Places which are typhoon-free before are not anymore secured of their bounty. Rich or poor, young or old, we are all susceptible to the life-threatening effects of climate change. No one is exempted. No one will be spared.

We call on our Sangguniang Kabataan officials to lead the way to climate resiliency in the barangays with posthaste. Think about what we can do to prepare our respective constitu-encies for the worst scenario. Think long-term as regards programs, projects and activities in the barangays. Think climate change mitigation and adaptation!

Let us do something. Let us not wait for tragedies to happen before we act. Let us prepare NOW!

In our minds, it should work like this:

1. Make use of “task” lighting rather than lighting the entire room when only a small amount of light is needed, like when reading a book or doing the daily crossword. In short, light only a specific place where you do your task. 2. As much as possible, refill your water bottle. This saves plastic and also saves you money.

3. Buy locally-sourced and manufactured products. This greatly reduces the amount of fuel required to transport them and it also helps growers, farmers and other businesses in your area.

4. When paying your favorite coffee shop a visit, do bring your own coffee mug to do away with using paper cups. Some coffee shops even give rebates when you buy drinks using your own mug or container.

5. Catch up on your reading using digital means. Read your favorite book or today’s newspaper online to save paper and trees.

6. Only buy products with minimalist packaging. When doing your grocery, bring a reusable bag to avoid using plastic bags.

7. Collect rainwater to flush the toilet and water indoor plants.

8. Unplug your phone charger when not in use. Even though your phone is not connected to the charger, it still consumes electricity when plugged. Do the same with your other electronic devices and appliances.

9. Use energy saving light bulbs to save even more money and energy.

10. Take the stairs rather than the elevator when going up or down one flight of stairs.

We’ve all heard this catchy phrase. The last R, recycling, tends to get all the credit. Reducing and Reusing, however, are even more important.

If you can REDUCE the materials you consume you will not only create less waste, you also won’t need to worry about what to do with all the things that you buy when you are done with them.

REUSE is a great way to make the most of the things that you do buy. Once you no longer need or want something, pass it on! One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Buying or trading vintage, refurbished and used items is a fun way to get cool stuff while preventing pollution and saving the earth’s precious resources.

You can RECYCLE up to 84% of your trash

simply by tak-ing it out of

the gar-bage can and put-ting it in the recy-

cling bin.

Items made from recycled materials take far less energy and create only a fraction of the pollu-tion to produce than items made from brand new materials. And of course, imagine the natural re-sources that are saved!

Here are some great ways to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle:

–Buy only what you need and use all of what you buy.

–Avoid buying things that use excessive packaging and buy in bulk.

–Buy durable things that will last a long time.

–When things break, see if they can be fixed before throwing them away.

–Wash and reuse plastic cups, utensils and bags.

–Precycle by buying products whose packaging can be recycled.

–And always bring your own bag! If you are just buying a few things just carry them in your hands.

–Complete the cycle and buy products made from recycled materials. When you buy products made from post-consumer recycled materials you are helping to reduce carbon emissions and saving resources.

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You may not have realized it yet, but everyone, yes including you, leave behind carbon as by-products of your day-to-day activites.

Carbon is defined as the amount of green house gas that a person or a group of people over a certain time period emits. As we all know, the more greenhouse gas is released to the atmosphere, the more we feel the effects of global warming and climate change.

Let us share to you some some tips to reduce your carbon footprint, and consequently, save the environment. You may be surprised that even the littlest change to your lifestyle can have a great impact on the total amount of carbon you produce.