Legarda warns climate crisis could cost PHP466B annually

Senator Loren Legarda has issued a stark warning on the escalating threat of climate change to the Philippine economy and national identity, urging both local and global action to avert catastrophic consequences for lives, livelihoods, and cultural heritage.

Speaking during the launch of the ACT Local Programme in Sibalom, Antique, Legarda cited government and international data showing that climate-related disasters displaced nearly 43 million Filipinos between 2014 and 2023.

She added that if left unaddressed, the impact of extreme heat alone could cost the Philippines up to PHP466 billion annually by 2030, while the broader economic cost could slash 13% off the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) by 2040.

“The projected cost of productivity loss here in the Philippines from extreme heat alone could reach PHP466 billion annually,” Legarda said.

The ACT Local Programme, developed by the Climate Change Commission, aims to assist Local Government Units (LGUs) in crafting and strengthening their Local Climate Change Action Plans (LCCAPs)—a process often hindered by limited technical and financial capacity.

“Ang pagpapatibay ng LCCAP ay isang mahalagang hakbang upang matiyak na ang Antique ay magiging mas ligtas at higit na handa sa pagtugon sa mga hamon at suliraning may kinalaman sa kalikasan,” Legarda said, reinforcing her call for LGUs to serve as frontliners in climate resilience.

A principal author of the Climate Change Act of 2009, Legarda emphasized that community-based efforts must underpin national responses, stating, “While resources may be provided by the national government, it is equally important that actions are community-driven.”

The Philippines has been named the most at-risk country in the world to climate change for 16 consecutive years, according to the World Risk Index, largely due to its frequent and destructive typhoons, rising sea levels, and vulnerability to extreme heat and flooding.

Beyond economic projections, Legarda also delivered a sobering address at the Climate Vulnerable Forum–V20 Finance Ministers (CVF-V20) high-level meeting on July 14, where she urged climate-vulnerable nations to rethink outdated policy frameworks and prioritize a more integrated, inclusive, and culturally sensitive approach to climate action.

“Climate change endangers all that you see and so much more: it imperils not only lives and livelihoods; it threatens to erase who we are,” she said.

The senator noted that cultural displacement and the erosion of heritage are already being experienced across vulnerable communities in the Philippines, where rising seas and climate-intensified disasters have forced residents from their ancestral lands and disrupted long-standing traditions.

“It is this understanding that demands we broaden our definition of risk to fully encompass the cultural well-being of our people,” she added.

Legarda emphasized the need to protect cultural sites, traditional knowledge, and social structures that are increasingly threatened by climate shocks. She said that laws must reflect not just environmental urgency but also the preservation of national identity.

“As legislators, we are more than mere policymakers; we are the stewards of our nation’s future,” she declared. “We must ensure that our laws reflect an unwavering commitment to both climate action and cultural preservation.”

The CVF-V20, composed of 74 climate-vulnerable countries including the Philippines, Bangladesh, Ghana, Barbados, and Sri Lanka, has developed Climate Prosperity Plans (CPPs)—ambitious investment strategies that reframe climate action as a pathway to economic transformation through renewable energy, nature-based solutions, and climate resilience tools.

As the founding chair of the V20, the Philippines has also launched a Climate Prosperity Investment Memorandum, which aligns climate ambition with economic and sub-national development, and seeks to mobilize private and public financing to future-proof communities.

The memorandum includes strategies to strengthen local energy systems, encourage investments in green infrastructure, and support smallholder farmers and indigenous communities—groups most at risk from climate volatility.

“The ACT Local Programme and the Climate Prosperity Plan are not mere policy instruments; they are survival strategies,” Legarda said. “They give LGUs and vulnerable communities the tools they need to confront the climate crisis.”

In her concluding appeal to her fellow legislators, Legarda urged Congress to prioritize climate-responsive legislation and ensure full implementation of existing climate mandates.

“To my esteemed colleagues in the Philippine Congress, I issue a solemn call to action: Let us make the full implementation of our Climate Prosperity Plan our most enduring legacy,” she said.

“Let our collective efforts safeguard our precious cultural treasures, empower our resilient communities, and build a sustainable future for all Filipinos.”

As the Philippines braces for stronger typhoons, rising temperatures, and resource scarcity, experts warn that delayed adaptation could lead to irreversible damage to ecosystems and entire communities.

The People’s Survival Fund, established through Legarda’s legislative efforts, remains one of the country’s key financing mechanisms for local climate adaptation projects.

However, disbursement bottlenecks and lack of capacity among LGUs continue to hinder implementation—an issue the ACT Local Programme seeks to directly address.

With only five years left before the global deadline to halve carbon emissions by 2030, the Philippines faces a dual task: reducing its vulnerability and contributing to global mitigation, even as its own emissions remain comparatively low.

As one of the most disaster-prone nations in the world, the country’s proactive planning will be crucial—not just for national security and economic growth, but for the preservation of its cultural soul.