Women are powerful agents in the ongoing battle against climate change as their knowledge, experience and leadership are critical to building resilience, Senator Loren Legarda said.
Legarda highlighted anew women’s roles in climate change resilience during her keynote speech at the Philippine Resilience Awards 2024 in Pasay City, where she also led the launching of the book “Journey to Climate Resilience: The Philippine Story” and the “Filipina Changemakers” video documentaries.
“This is why we must continue to amplify their voices, not only in the community but in decision-making processes at all levels of government,” Legarda said.
in partnership with the office of the senator, the Climate Change Commission (CCC), spearheaded the production of the book that presents the country’s initiatives towards climate resilience on the legislative and executive fronts.
The book, “Journey to Climate Resilience: The Philippine Story,” primarily tackles the mandate of the CCC and its significant milestones in policy-making, advocacy, as well as environmental and climate change awareness from its creation up to 2022.
Meanwhile, “Filipina Changemakers” featured two women—Nida Collado and Mila Boñgalbal—who have made advanced transformative climate action in their respective communities in Palawan and Albay.
Collado, a 2023 awardee, is a farmer and a dedicated leader of the Macatumbalen Community-Based Forest and Coastal Management Association (MCBFM) in San Vicente, Palawan, while Boñgalbal is President of the Joroan Farmers Association in Tiwi, Albay.
Collado was recognized for being able to mobilize community resources to strengthen forest protection against illegal logging.
Legarda said this emphasizes the importance of a thriving livelihood for the community and the leadership role of their women.
On the other hand, Boñgalbal mobilized her community to train and be equipped in resilient practices, especially on food security, through sustainable livelihoods such as abaca drying and livestock and vegetable farming.
“Climate change will continue to test us, but I firmly believe that the Filipino people have the strength and the ingenuity to overcome these challenges,” the four-term senator said.
“We have seen this in the way local communities have come together to rebuild after disasters, in the way farmers have adopted sustainable practices, and in the way women have taken on leadership roles in resilience-building,” she stressed.