President Marcos has asked world leaders to support the Philippines' bid to host the Loss and Damage Fund as he called for the fund's prompt operationalization to support developing and vulnerable countries from the impact of the climate crisis.

Special Assistant to the President (SAP) Antonio Lagdameo Jr. delivered Marcos' message during the opening of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) Philippine Pavilion on Friday afternoon, Dubai time, as Marcos canceled his trip.

In his speech, the President said that the Philippines is pushing for just transition and loss and damage financing, emphasizing that "the Philippines will announce its intent to host the Loss and Damage Fund."

"The Philippines' call for the immediate operationalization of this Fund to assist developing and vulnerable countries to respond to droughts, floods, and rising sea levels exacerbated by climate change," he said.

"We urge partners from the private sector, civil society, partner countries and governments, and developing funding institutions to support the Philippines in this bid. You have been there for meaningful collaboration with our government to tackle the climate crises," he added.

Loss and Damage Fund refers to the costs of recovering from climate impact.

In his message, the President highlighted the urgency of confronting climate impact, citing reports from the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change that it will severely affect vulnerable and poor communities.

Despite the Philippines being at the forefront of climate issues, Marcos said the Philippine government has put into action transformative solutions to curb the impact of climate change and address biodiversity loss and pollution.

"More than just an environmental issue; for us, it is a matter of survival, of justice, and of protecting the rights of our people," he said.

"Thus, the Philippine Development Plan sealed the national development priorities on accelerating climate action and establishing sustainable and livable cities," he added.

According to Marcos, the government has allotted P453.11 billion for climate change adaptation and mitigation for 2023, while P889.65 million has been granted to local government units for climate change adaptation programs and projects under the "People's Survival Fund."

Aside from ensuring sufficient funds for climate change mitigation efforts, the President said that the Philippines, the third largest geothermal power producer next to the US and Indonesia, is heading for low-carbon development.

"We are on track towards achieving a 35-percent renewable energy share in the power generation mix by 2023 through policy reforms that allow more investors for offshore wind and floating solar," Marcos said

"We need to protect our forests, our oceans, and our biodiversity," he added, noting that the Philippines is home to 50,000 species of flora and fauna, 50 percent of which can only be found in the country.

President Marcos also told the world leaders that the Philippines is implementing all those climate responses.

"We are intensifying the protection of natural resources to restore natural ecosystems and maximize ecosystem services that will benefit indigenous peoples and local communities," he continued.

Meanwhile, President Marcos extended his gratitude for the Official Development Assistance (ODA) totaling P164.17-billion that the country has received for various climate change projects. 

He also thanked the Asian Development Bank and the British Government for their support in completing the Philippines' "National Adaptation Plan" and the "Nationally Determined Contribution Implementation Plan."

"The challenges we face are huge, but so are the reasons to be hopeful," Marcos said.

President Marcos said that the Philippines will continue to rally everyone to draw inspiration from "these signs of progress" that everyone has achieved.