National Press Club commits for Climate Change

National Press Club commits for Climate Change

President P-Noy congratulates NPC president Jerry S. Yap after the Media Declaration on Climate Change 2011 was presented during the Philippine Media Conference on Climate Change Adaptation at Bicol University in Legazpi, Albay. This happens as Presidential Adviser Neric Acosta and Albay Governor Joey Sarte Salceda look on.

National Press Club 

commits for Climate Change

 

The National Press Club through its president Jerry S. Yap has inked a commitment contained in the document called "Philippine Media Declaration on Climate Change 2011", for the purpose of educating journalists to make them effective catalysts to preserve the Mother Earth, fight off the destroyers of the environment, make the people aware on how to adapt to the changing climate by knowing how to confront big floods and disasters caused by the rise in the temperature in the world.

The Club committed to this endeavor because it believes that journalists have big responsibilities in the humanity's fight against climate change because of their unique role as the deliverers of information to the public.

The commitment was made into a formal written declaration during the Philippine Media Conference on Climate Change Adaptation conference at the Bicol University in Legazpi City, Albay. 

The wordings in the media declaration were written with the big participation of NPC representative Berteni "Toto" Cataluna Causing.

Stressing that all if not most journalists do not have knowledge about climate change, the NPC made it sure that the declaration put the program of educating the media persons as the first of the actions to be done.

This was won by the NPC after arguing that journalists cannot be interested or effective communicators if they do not know much about the topic they are reporting or making opinions of. 

For this, the NPC intends to launch series of seminars to all media members all over the country on Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR).

Thereafter,the NPC shall do the regular dissemination of relevant information and communication about CCA and DRR at all levels to encourage the marginalized populations to voice out their concerns and issues with regard to their plight resulting from disasters caused by climate change and on how they could adapt to these in order to eliminate or lessen damage and in order to protect their human rights.

The NPC also committed to promote regional and international collaboration among all media organizations for the enrichment of climate change reporting and launched programs aimed at enhancing the skills of media practitioners through training, exchange of knowledge, best practices, and provision of access to relevant information.

The NPC along with other media groups who committed in the same Philippine Media Declaration 2011 will elicit support from all practitioners for comprehensive coverage of the 17th Conference of Parties (COP) of the UNFCCC in Durban, South Africa. 

The whole document is posted below in toto:

PHILIPPINE MEDIA DECLARATION

ON CLIMATE CHANGE 2011:

A Commitment for Concerted Action of Media Practitioners

to Catalyze Public Awareness and Nationwide Advocacy

for Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation

We, the participants of the First National Media Conference on Climate Change Adaptation (Albay, Philippines, November 24-26, 2011),

Realizing the urgency of climate change from scientific findings analyzed and summarized by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) for policymakers, the more recent of which are the Fourth Assessment Report (4AR 2007) and the Special Report on Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation (SREX 2011), which report concludes that “it is virtually certain that on a global scale hot days become even hotter and occur more often... Likewise, heavy precipitation will occur more often, and the wind speed of tropical cyclones will increase while their number will likely remain constant”;

Recalling that the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change  (UNFCCC) launched the two-track (Adaptation and Mitigation) Bali Action Plan, noted the Copenhagen Accord, and established the Green Climate Fund in Cancun, Mexico and will continue negotiations in Durban, South Africa on November 28-December 10, 2011;    

Emphasizing that an increased public understanding of the urgency of climate change is essential to mitigate its negative impacts and to avert human suffering; 

Underlining that access to relevant information on climate change is vital to sustain a living planet and for the survival of human beings;

Acknowledging that there are significant social, economic and environmental benefits in taking action to combat the effects of climate change;

Recognizing that the information  provided by media plays a critical role in stimulating policy debate and in mobilizing knowledge to empower societies to make informed decisions on options for mitigation and adaptation;

Agreeing that dedicated collaboration among media practitioners to share and disseminate climate change information incorporating all perspectives would encourage individuals and policy-makers to undertake timely actions such as:

o          Proper education of media practitioners on Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR);

o          Dissemination of relevant information and communication at all levels to give voice to marginalized populations affected;

o          Promotion of regional and international collaboration among all media organizations for the enrichment of climate change reporting;

o          Skills enhancement of media practitioners through training, exchange of knowledge, best practices, and provision of access to relevant information; and

o          Eliciting support from all practitioners for comprehensive coverage of the 17th Conference of Parties (COP) of the UNFCCC in Durban, South Africa.

From the Albay Declaration of 2007:

“To encourage greater participation of the media in disseminating information on climate change adaptation, within the overall framework of sustainable development, to local communities, at the grassroots level such that all modes of information, education and communication to increase awareness and appreciation of climate change are utilized;

To promote social dialogue between workers and employers to realize potential for green and decent jobs through positive support for workers and employers in the transition towards environmentally sustainable patterns of production and consumption;

From the Manila Declaration of 2009:

Establish partnerships with tri-media, civil society, religious groups, non-governmental organization, private sector and academia, in actions on mainstreaming disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation in local development planning & decision-making processes within the framework of progressive sustainable development;

Encourage cooperation among concerned agencies, international development agencies, business groups, non-governmental organizations, academe, religious, and tri-media to work together with the newly created Climate Change Commission for a concerted effort on DRR and CCA

From the LGU Summit +3i (Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao):

•          The powerful role of LGUs, as mandated by the Local Government Code of 1992, is emphasized with regard to climate and disaster risks. The Climate Change Act mandates LGUs to trail-blaze an aggressive and proactive climate and disaster resilient development plans/programs. 

•          The LGU Summits held from 2010 to 2011 were designed to demonstrate and translate effective and efficient implementation of science-based analyses for climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction measures with consensus built on the National Framework Strategy on Climate Change as the guide for local framework formulation and planning for integrated ecosystem-based management which shall ultimately render sectors climate-resilient.

•          The LGU Summits sought to increase the level of understanding of local governments on how climate variability and extremes could affect development and to promote the prioritization of appropriate adaptation measures to protect and facilitate MDG achievement by target year 2015.

Now, therefore, we request HIS EXCELLENCY, PRESIDENT BENIGNO S. AQUINO III of the Republic of the Philippines to certify and put into action the commitments stated above through:

1.         Allocating funds for the immediate capacity assessment and training program on climate change and disaster risk reduction for media in the country; and

2.         Incorporating media participation in the rollout of the National Climate Change Action Plans (NCCAP).

  

Respectfully Submitted:

                                                                  NATIONAL PRESS CLUB OF THE PHILIPPINES

                                                                  PHILIPPINE NETWORK OF ENVIRONMENTAL 

                                                                         JOURNALISTS

                                                                  KAPISANAN NG MGA BRODKASTER SA PILIPINAS

                                                                  PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION OF THE PHILIPPINES, 

                                                                         INC.

                                                                 Recommended by:

                                                                 Hon. HERMINIO “SONNY” COLOMA, JR.

                                                                 Secretary

                                                                 Presidential Communications Operations Office

                                                                 Hon. JOEY SARTE SALCEDA

                                                                 Governor, Province of Albay

                                                                 Chairman, Regional Development Council 5