Iloilo groups launch citizen-led climate action, heat report

A coalition of citizen groups on Thursday launched the country’s first Community Climate Response Hub (CCRH) and unveiled a new citizen science-led report on urban heat, calling for stronger people participation in local and national climate action efforts.

The CCRH, developed by grassroots and civil society organizations, is envisioned as a citizen-led network for climate change adaptation (CCA) and disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) that empowers communities to lead resilience-building strategies and policy advocacy.

The hub was launched during a public forum on climate impacts, where experts and advocates highlighted the urgency of localized, community-driven approaches to climate resilience amid worsening environmental threats.

“May we create a shared space where communities have the power to push for climate justice, climate preparedness, and climate response—led by communities and backed by the government and other stakeholders,” said Lady Kyla Balibagoso of Greenpeace Philippines – Iloilo Volunteers.

Key supporters of the CCRH include Greenpeace Philippines, Green Eco-Warriors, Green Forum Panay Guimaras, Homeless People’s Federation Philippines, Inc. (HPFPI), Alerto Ako E-Yusay Memorial School, CurrentShift, and Navallasca Farmers Rise Against Hunger and Malnutrition, Inc. (NFRAHMI).

Organizers said the hub will serve as a platform for community-level responses to climate impacts, including disaster preparedness, relief operations, climate research, and advocacy, while also pushing for inclusive policymaking through grassroots data collection and consultation.

The initiative’s launch coincided with the release of Turning Down the Heat: Citizen Science and the Urgency of Climate Action in the Philippines, a report that documents how ordinary residents are already experiencing and responding to increasing urban heat.

Produced by the Greenpeace Iloilo Volunteers Local Group and Ulirat Collective, the study used citizen science and first-person narratives to measure the human cost of rising temperatures, especially in vulnerable, low-income communities.

“Science is too important to be left to scientists alone,” said Cathy Manalo of Ulirat Collective. “Residents should be actively involved in learning about the environment and pushing for liveable communities.”

The report emphasized how citizen engagement in data collection can inform local heat adaptation plans and strengthen community resilience.

“The hub aims to help improve public participation in the DRR-CCA planning process,” said Melvin Purzuelo of Green Forum Panay Guimaras. “Engaging citizens ensures resilience is built by the people, for the people.”

Youth leaders also underscored the hub’s role in empowering marginalized communities.

“This is where the CCRH should step in—by providing capacity building initiatives and resources to empower individuals not just as recipients of aid but as active agents of change,” said Naomi Alaban Basay of HPFPI Youth Iloilo.

“In unity there is strength,” said Jeffrey Bacaling of Alerto Ako E-Yusay Memorial School. “Involving people contributes to the success of attaining our goals in the community by making them resilient in every disaster.”

The Department of Health’s Dr. Ronald Law, Iloilo DRRM Officer Donna Magno, and Manila Observatory’s Dr. Ma. Laurence Jamero also participated in the learning session, which focused on climate-health impacts and evidence-based response strategies.

CurrentShift founder Queenie Agdalipe stressed the importance of combining scientific training with local knowledge.

“By coupling the Hub’s climate resilience training with the ingenuity of small-scale fishers… we can turn shoreline communities into first responders and frontline problem solvers,” Agdalipe said.

Greenpeace noted that the CCRH is part of a broader campaign for climate justice in the Philippines, where communities regularly bear the brunt of extreme weather events but remain underrepresented in policy decisions.

“The CCRH emerges as a critical initiative in addressing the multifaceted challenges posed by the ongoing climate crisis,” said Jerol Kim Tanaliga of Green Eco-Warriors. “It represents a synergistic collaboration across diverse sectors, demonstrating a unified commitment to mitigating climate change impacts.”

Greenpeace Philippines has worked in the country since 2000, focusing on holding corporations and governments accountable for the climate crisis, supporting disaster response, and promoting a just transition to renewable energy.

The full urban heat report is available at act.gp/heatph.