The government is committed to strengthening the country's resilience to climate change and build "greener future," according to President Duterte.
(KING RODRIGUEZ / PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
The President said the government has set aside P181.9 billion for programs to protect the environment under the 2021 national budget after recognizing the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. He said the government intends to curb the environmental risks "that may lead to future outbreaks."
"The COVID-19 pandemic impacted not only our economy and our people but also our environment. This experience has opened our eyes to the reality that everything has its limit," Duterte said in his recent budget message to Congress.
"It has emphasized the importance of being able to protect and conserve our natural resources for the future generations to come," he said.
In the budget proposal for 2021, Duterte said the P181.9 billion allocation will be used for "climate-change related expenditures identifying adaption and mitigation measures for climate change." The projects cover forest protection, tree-planting, development and use of renewable energy sources, and water security.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) will receive a P26.5-billion budget for 2021, that includes P5.2 billion for the National Greening Program and P800 million for the Forest Protection Program. At least P700 million will be set aside for the Protected Areas Development and Management Program to help protect and conserve biodiversity areas and protected areas.
Around P2.1 billion will be go the Department of Energy "in our effort to build a brighter and greener future," according to the President. Of this amount, P500 million will fund the government's sustainable Total Electrification Project while P133 million will support the exploration, development, and utilization of renewable energy resources and technologies.
To ensure water security for Filipinos, Duterte said the National Water Resources Board under DENR will receive P128 million. The allocation will be used for the development of groundwater management plan and the establishment of groundwater monitoring stations for groundwater critical areas.