Various groups are urging the government to come up with a more comprehensive and integrated approach to address climate crisis, citing that "mere declaration is not enough."
In response to the House of Representatives approval of House Resolution (HR) No. 1377 declaring a climate emergency in the country, the groups expressed doubt over the government's sincerity to address climate change as the severity of its impacts to vulnerable communities remains significantly high over the last decade.
"While we welcome the resolution of the Lower House to declare Climate Emergency, we need genuine immediate and long term sustainable plans and decisive actions that are comprehensive in addressing the adverse impacts of climate change and disasters," said Jaybee Garganera of Alyansa Tigil Mina and convenor of Green Thumb Coalition.
"The current behavior and practice of the Duterte administration is inconsistent with this House resolution, including the recommendation to open up more mines to recover from COVID-19," he added.
The groups said that the resolution should complement the environment and climate related bills of the18th Congress to address climate change with a sense of urgency.
"Our lawmakers need to enact long-standing policies especially the pending Green Bills designed to make the environment and communities resilient to climate impacts and scrap all existing laws and programs that are responsible and have exacerbated climate impacts," Glenn Ymata of No Burn Pilipinas pointed out.
"Moreover, they should also stop the approval of funding dirty energy projects by corporations that greatly contribute to climate change which bring more serious health problems including cancer," Ymata said.
The groups added that burning of fossil fuels such as coal and waste-to-energy incineration, mining, quarrying, single use plastic are also contributors to the pollution problem, which is now threatening more the climate, environment, and public health.
Philippine Movement for Climate Justice national coordinator Ian Rivera asked: "Will this climate emergency declaration alleviate the helpless situation of those heavily affected from the series of five typhoons that happened three weeks ago? Will it save us from future impacts?"
The groups added that corporations and policymakers should respect existing laws in the country such as the Clean Air Act and Ecological Solid Waste Management Act including the international Paris agreement within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Respecting these laws and agreements will help cut down greenhouse gas emissions and prevent global temperatures rising more than 1.5 degrees Celsius.
"We cannot allow business as usual because absent sincere and concerted effort from the government and without genuine participation of the people, our fragile ecology will continue to suffer undue stresses by climate-induced catastrophes," said Fr. Angel Cortez of Ecological Justice Interfaith Movement-Association of Major Religious Superiors in the Philippines.