Climate forum turns national plans into local action

MANILA — The Climate Change Commission convened national leaders and key stakeholders at the National Climate Resilience Forum 2026 to accelerate local climate action and strengthen community resilience.

Senior Deputy Executive Secretary Maria Luwalhati C. Dorotan-Tiuseco said climate action remains a national priority under the leadership of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

“The government’s responsibility must be to anticipate dangers, strengthen communities, protect livelihoods, and ensure that no Filipino faces calamity alone. And this administration has pursued exactly that.”

CCC Vice Chair and Executive Director Robert E.A. Borje stressed the growing urgency of responding to intensifying climate impacts, which he said are reshaping approaches to resilience and development.

“Climate change is reshaping the conditions under which resilience must now be built. And because resilience is inseparable from development, it is also reshaping the conditions under which our nation must grow and prosper. Our task now is to build upon these foundations—with discipline, with purpose, and with the shared understanding that resilience is not someone else’s responsibility. It belongs to all of us.”

The Philippines faces serious risks from extreme weather, sea-level rise, food insecurity, water stress, and climate-induced displacement.

These threats underscore the urgency of translating national climate policies into concrete action in communities.

CCC Commissioner Rachel Anne S. Herrera said the forum provided a platform for moving climate strategies from planning to implementation at the local level.

“Our objective is clear: to translate national policies into context-specific, investment-ready, and scalable climate action where it matters most—in our communities.”

The forum featured panel discussions and breakout sessions on practical and scalable solutions, climate financing opportunities, resilience measurement systems, and science- and data-driven planning tools.

The sessions were designed to help local governments strengthen climate resilience.

Sen. Loren Legarda urged local governments to take a more active role in implementing climate strategies.

“To our local chief executives and planners: the success of our national climate strategies depends on how they are carried out at the local level. Climate resilience must be reflected in your land use plans, annual investments, and infrastructure decisions.”

Stakeholders from government, civil society, development organizations, and other sectors also called for climate commitments to produce measurable results.

Rep. Aniela Bianca D. Tolentino, chair of the House Committee on Climate Change, stressed the importance of implementation.

“Plans alone cannot make communities resilient. Ang tunay na sukatan ng tagumpay ay hindi kung gaano kaganda ang ating mga plano, kundi paano natin ito naipapatupad sa ating mga komunidad.”

Rep. Jose Manuel F. Alba of Bukidnon’s 1st District also emphasized the urgency of delivering results.

“History will not judge us by the plans we write, but by the lives we save. Let this forum be the line in the sand where rhetoric ends, and decisive action begins.”

Kyungsun Kim, UNICEF Philippines country representative, said the success of adaptation efforts should be measured through their effects on people.

“Let us ensure that climate adaptation is measured, not only planned in budget, but in healthier children, stronger communities, more resilient families and greater opportunities for the next generation.”

German Ambassador to the Philippines Andreas Michael Pfaffernoschke reaffirmed his country’s support for Philippine climate initiatives.

“Germany has been and will continue to be a strong and reliable partner for the Philippines in climate action and in strengthening your country’s resilience.”

Jonas Tetangco of Catholic Relief Services Philippines highlighted the importance of partnerships in developing community-based solutions.

“Catholic Relief Services remains committed to partnering with communities, local governments, national government agencies, and development partners to advance nature-based solutions, climate-smart livelihoods, watershed protection, and ecosystem restoration.”

Hermilando I. Mandanas, secretary-general of the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines and vice governor of Batangas, called for stronger commitments to local resilience.

“Together, I think we should again reinstate, revitalize, and really fortify our commitment in making our country resilient and really able to meet the challenges that really exist in our country.”

The forum carried the theme “Bagong Bansang Matatag, Handa sa Pagbabago ng Klima.”

It sought to strengthen alignment between national frameworks and climate action at the local level.

These frameworks include the National Adaptation Plan 2023–2050, which identifies priority strategies for addressing current climate impacts and future risks using climate science, analytics, and best practices.

They also include the Nationally Determined Contribution Implementation Plan 2020–2030, which outlines actions, costs, schedules, and implementation arrangements for meeting the country’s climate commitments in the agriculture, energy, industry, transport, and waste sectors.

Booth exhibits showcased climate initiatives from government agencies, civil society groups, development partners, and the private sector.

The forum received support from the Philippine Red Cross, Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino, International Organization for Migration, Catholic Relief Services, UNICEF Philippines, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit, and Expertise France.

Participants attended the event in person and through a livestream on the CCC’s official Facebook page.

Nearly 500 participants attended the forum.

They represented local governments, national government agencies, civil society organizations, academic institutions, state universities and colleges, development partners, embassies, international organizations, the private sector, and the media.

Participating national agencies included the Department of Budget and Management, Department of Economy, Planning, and Development, Department of Energy, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Finance, and Department of Health-Health and Climate Change Office.

Other participants came from the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development-Environmental, Land Use and Urban Planning and Development Bureau, Department of Labor and Employment, and Department of Science and Technology Central Office-Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Unit.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government-Bureau of Local Government Development, Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino, and the Bangsamoro Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources and Energy-Environment Management Service also participated.

Representatives from the National Anti-Poverty Commission, National Youth Commission, Office of Civil Defense, Philippine Board of Investments, and Philippine Commission on Women attended the event.

Panelists included representatives from the DOST-Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, Development Bank of the Philippines, Land Bank of the Philippines, and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority.

Their participation brought additional sectoral expertise and reflected a whole-of-government approach to strengthening climate resilience nationwide.

The CCC said it would continue to advance climate action, strengthen resilience from the ground up, and address climate change through whole-of-society and whole-of-nation approaches.

For more information on the CCC’s climate mainstreaming programs and partnerships, visit www.climate.gov.ph and www.facebook.com/CCCPhl.###