Nangako ang Senate finance committee na ang panukalang 2016 P3.002 trillion national budget ay magiging ‘’climate-adaptive, disaster-resilient, risk-sensitive and sustainable development.’’
Ito ang binigyang diin ni Sen. Loren Legarda, committee chairwoman, matapos hagupitin ng bagyong ‘’Lando’’ ang Northern Luzon sa lakas na umaabot sa 210 kilometers per hour (kph).
“We can no longer deny the fact that we are constantly faced with the threats of disasters caused by environmental degradation and natural hazards intensified by the warming climate,’’ sabi ni Legarda, chairwoman din ng Senate climate change committee.
‘’What is more lamentable is that disasters are major economic setbacks if we fail to address our vulnerability and reduce the risks. Our own socio-economic agency, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), admits that sustainable development cannot be achieved if we do not address climate change and its impacts,’’ dagdag niya.
Binanggit ni Legarda ang mga bagyong ‘’Ondoy’’ at ‘’Pepeng’’ na nagdulot ng matitinding pinsala at pagkalugi na katumbas ng 2.7% sa gross domestic product (GDP) ng bansa.
Ang mga pagkalugi dahil sa Yolanda na tumama sa Visayas dalawang taon na ang nakalipas ay katumbas ng limang porsyento ng GDP ng Pilipinas.
‘’We need billions to rehabilitate damaged communities. These are resources that we could have used instead for education or health care. We say that Congress has the power of the purse and we will use that power to make our economy and communities resilient and sustainable,” ani Legarda. (Mario Casayuran)
