ALBAY SPONSORS LGU SUMMIT+3i ON CCA 2ND LEG IN VISAYAS
By Marlon A. Loterte

LEGAZPI CITY — Local governments are set to gather anew in an interfacing in Visayas in an unrelenting pursuit and strengthen commitment to mainstream Climate Change Adaptation to address climate variability and extremes, moreover, direct adaptation measures among localities in the country.

Manuel “Nong” Rangasa, executive director of Center for Initiative Research for Climate Adaptation (CIRCA), told PIA News Service that the Visayas summit is the second leg of the series of LGU Summit+3i on Mainstreaming of CCA in different parts of the country and evidently manifests that the implementation of direct adaptation measures remains local or lies on the hands of LGUs and residents.

Rangasa explained that this demonstrates the critical role of local governments in shaping and implementing successful adaptation measures that would ensure continuity of development and provide safety nets for highly vulnerable groups that are very dependent on natural resources.

Along the way, according to Rangasa, local governments will be able to determine priority adaptation measures in line with the National Strategic Framework on CCA that would protect and facilitate MDG achievement by target year 2015.

Albay province, acclaimed a key front liner in CCA advocacy in the country and abroad, takes the lead anew in staging the LGU Summit+3i – Visayas Leg in Iloilo City set on December 15-16, this year.

First introduced by the provincial government of Albay through CIRCA, the CCA interfacing among LGUs intends to provide a venue for local leaders to recognize that adaptation is a critical developmental concern that needs to be addressed to pursue and meet country’s commitment towards Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 2015.

Rangasa said that the event is a continuing advocacy for LGUs given their critical responsibility in shaping and implementing measures that would ensure continuity of development and provide safety nets for highly vulnerable groups at the local level.

He furthered that LGUs across the country must have a concerted effort to fast track achievement of MDGs, especially at the local level, to meet the 2015 target and share experiences in tracking their MDGs’ progress.

LGU Summit+3i – Visayas Leg is a joint project of the Millennium Development Goals Fund 1656 Climate Change Commission, League of Cities of the Philippines, in cooperation with the Development Academy of the Philippines.

Planning managers, scientists and academe sector, civic society and community leaders, legislators, and development partners from across the country are expected to participate in the interfacing to broaden collective actions to develop the resilience and adaptive capacities of local communities to cope and address the implications and challenges of climate change.

Vice President Jejomar Binay is expected to keynote the summit.

Other resource persons expected to grace the event include acclaimed UN Senior Global Champion for CCA/Disaster Risk Reduction and Albay Governor Joey Salceda, along with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Country Director Renaud Meyer is set to expound on the UN’s Support for Climate Change Adaptation & Disaster Risk Reduction in the Philippines. (PIA V)