PNoy inaugurates Climate Change Academy in Albay
…first in the country, first in the world

by Marlon A. Loterte

LEGAZPI CITY, November 27 (PIA) -- President Benigno C. Aquino III led Friday (November 25) the inauguration of the Climate Change Academy of Albay for Local Government Units (CCA-LGUs) that will serve as a venue for development of competencies in climate change adaptation through research and training for local climate and disaster risk management policy development, integration, training and mainstreaming in the Philippines.

The country’s first CCA-LGUs came about following years of painstaking efforts of developing an institution as Albay’s, as well as the country’s, response and adaptation measure in a bid to ease the adverse impact of global warming resulting in climate change and extreme weather events.

President Aquino, along with Sec. Herminio “Sonny” Coloma of the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO), Sec. Florencio “Butch” Abad of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), Sec. Ramon Paje of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and Albay Gov. Joey Salceda led the ribbon-cutting rites and later toured booths of exhibits of government and private institutions showcasing CCA initiatives and programs.

Salceda, also UN senior global champion on climate change adaptation and UN Green Climate Fund adviser, said the academy is just one of the many initiatives and programs of the Centre for Initiatives and Research on Climate Adaptation (CIRCA), under the provincial government of Albay, set up to gather scientific and actual experiences from several stakeholders had been consolidated into modules and manuals, particularly for the different local government units in the country.

Salceda cited the importance of institutionalizing adaptation strategies and policies through the academy to address the impacts and challenges of climate change as well as raising public awareness through the different forms of media.

“Ang Climate Change Academy is the first of its kind in the world. Wala pa pong ganyan sa buong mundo (There is nothing like that in the whole world). It’s essentially a knowledge management institution,” Salceda said.

The academy is the brainchild of the CIRCA of the provincial government of Albay and a concrete output of the MDG-F1656 Albay Demo site of the Joint Programme of the Government of the Philippines (GOP).

Manuel Rangasa, executive director of CIRCA, explained that from its rich history of coping and recent innovative endeavors at disaster risk-reduction and climate change adaptation, it is obvious that Albay is a role model for other LGUs in these areas. It is in the best position to function as a learning laboratory for the other LGUs to learn from.

Rangasa also disclosed that the provincial government of Albay has initially spent some P10 million for the renovation and modernization of the academy building and facilities located at the Bicol University in Old Albay District here.

He added that during the 1st National Media Conference on CCA held here Thursday (November 24), Secretary Paje of DENR has committed P5 million from his department’s fund to augment resources for the academy, while development partners such as the Spanish government’s Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarollo (AECID) has also vowed commitment of similar support.

CIRCA is now implementing the Millennium Development Goal Achievement Fund (MDG-F) 1656 Joint Programme (JP) on Strengthening the Philippine Institutional Capacity to Adapt to Climate Change involving nine Government of the Philippines (GOP) partners and six UN partners with the assistance of the Spanish government.

On November 4, 2010, the Climate Change Academy for LGUs in the Philippines was officially launched and an MOU Signing among the Office of the President-Climate Change Commission, the United Nations System and the Provincial Government of Albay during the Opening of the LGU SUMMIT+3i Luzon and the 4th General Assembly of the League of Provinces of the Philippines (LPP) witnessed by the Albay Provincial Board Council, representatives from the Spanish Government/AECID and NEDA Central Office.

Rangasa said local planners, decision and policy makers and even sectoral agencies, can now have a center of excellence where they can develop competencies on mainstreaming disaster risk reduction (DRR) and CCA.

He added that the academy will not only be able to provide the theoretical moorings for climate adaptive localities but it can also be a venue for sharing experiences and best practices on DRR and climate change impact management.

“As the pre-eminent institution in climate change adaptation in the Philippines, the academy’s primary purpose is to develop integrated competencies and provide information and technology for building the resilience of communities to climate change impacts,” Rangasa said.

Rangasa added that the academy is responsible for the development and strengthening of the theoretical knowledge and practical skills of major local stakeholders on climate and disaster risk assessment, focusing on characterization and evaluation of climate hazards, vulnerabilities and adaptive capacities; disaster and climate risk reduction and management; and climate change adaptation and disaster risk management, planning and programming.

The academy will employ the “Capacity Development for Better Governance” approach on four levels, including awareness on disaster risks and climate change issues; modular and progressive training on scenario building, climate and disaster risk assessment, and disaster risk management; Technical assistance for mainstreaming of disaster and climate risk management in local planning processes and outputs; and guided experiential learning in the implementation of “disaster or climate proofing” by local stakeholders. (MALoterte, PIA V/Albay)