Scoping Assessment on Climate Change Adaptation in the Philippines

<strong>Scoping</strong> <strong>Assessment</strong> on Climate Change Adaptation
CHAPTER 2
CURRENT CLIMATE CHANGE PROGRAMS AND
PROJECTS: NATIONAL GOVERNMENT
The Philippines is at risk to multiple climate and weather-related hazards. It
is apparent to the more informed government leaders and other stakeholders
that if the country does not act on these risks, it will suffer from devastation
year after year, and will be ill-prepared for the projected climate hazards
of the future. As a result of this realization, the Philippine Government has
initiated several programs in an attempt to develop and enhance the adaptive
capacities of its institutions and people.
The Philippines and the Spanish Government share
a General Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation.
The MDG-F 1656 Joint Programme: This evolved from Basic Cooperation on Technical
Cooperation in 1974, developed into a Joint Commission
Strengthening the Philippines’ Institutional
in 2005– 2008 and was enhanced by Spain’s Law on
Capacity to Adapt to Climate Change
Cooperation and Masterplan 2009–2012. The Spanish
Government, through its development arm AECID or
the Oicina Tecnica de Cooperacion, has entered into
a cooperation mechanism ranging from technical and
inancial cooperation, which may be bilateral or multilateral, with other
Spanish public administration units in a centralized or decentralized mode,
and with NGOs (NEDA & MDGG Achievement Fund, 2012).
In the Philippines, the support of the Spanish Government was channelled
through the United Nations System under the MDGF thematic window on
Environment and Climate Change, and is implemented by nine government
agencies—National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA),
Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Environment and Natural
Resources (DENR), Department of Health (DOH), Department of Labor and
Employment (DOLE), Department of Science and Technology-Philippine
Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (DOST-
PAGASA), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Housing and Urban
Development Council (HUDC) and the Province of Albay—and six partners
of the United Nations, including United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), International Labour
Organization (ILO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP),
United Nations Human Settlements Program (UNHSP) and World Health
Organization (WHO). The initiative also brought support to Region V (the
Bicol Region), Region XIII (CARAGA region), and other areas of Mindanao.
The MDGF support aimed at enhancing capacities for CCA, mainstreaming
climate risk reduction in development plans and processes, and improving
coping mechanisms. To achieve these, the following projects were
implemented:
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