Legislative Research Service

Reference and Research Bureau

I. Executive Summary: Climate Change and the Philippines

Executive Brief, 2018
Commission on Climate Change

Climate change is a long-term alteration in the average weather patterns (i.e. temperature,
rainfall, extreme weather, etc.). Various studies have shown that global warming is caused by the
great concentration of greenhouse gases (GHG) in the atmosphere, which mainly results from
human activities.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change or (IPCC) established in 1998 provides

the world with a clear scientific view on the current state of knowledge and its potential
environmental and socio-economic impacts.

In its Fifth Assessment Report (ARS), it recorded the following data:

o It has been successively warmer in each of the last three decades. 1983-2012 was
likely the warmest 30-year period in the last 1,400 years.

o Atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide are at

unprecedented levels in the last 800,000 years.

o Global temperatures are likely to rise by 0.3°C to 4.8°C by the end of century

o Sea levels are expected to rise an additional 26-82 centimeters by 2100.

o The oceans have acidified, having absorbed about 1/3 of the carbon dioxide thus
far emitted.

o The pre-industrial level of 1°C in 1850-1900 was breached in 2015 and 2016. It is
projected to reach up to 4°C by 2050, which has potentially devastating
consequences.

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UNITED NATIONS FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE (UNFCCC)

The collective political response began at the Rio Earth summit in 1992 and was ratified
by 197 countries. It aims to stabilize GHGs to mitigate dangerous man-made interference with
the climate system. The following is the timeline of climate negotiations since the establishment
of the UNFCCC in 1994.

1995 First Conference of Parties (COP) in Berlin, to review the UNFCCC.

1997 Adoption of Kyoto Protocol at COP3, binding developed countries to emission

reduction targets.

2001 The Marrakesh Accords were adopted at COP7, detailing the rules for
implementation of the Kyoto Protocol.

2005 The first meeting of parties (MOP1) on Kyoto Protocol in Montreal.

2007 At COP13, Parties agreed on Bali Road Map and the Ad Hoc Working Group on
Further Commitments

2009 Copenhagen Accord was drafted at COP15.

2010 Cancun Agreements were drafted at COP16, making the countries’ pledge on
emission reduction official.

2011 The Durban Platform for Enhanced action was drafted and accepted at COP17.
Governments recognized the need to draw up the blueprint for a fresh universal,
legal agreement to deal with climate change beyond 2020.

2012 The Doha Agreement to KP was adopted.

2013 Key decisions adopted at COP19 included decisions on further advancing the
Durban Platform, the Green Climate Fund and Long-Term Finance, the Warsaw
Framework for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation
(REDD Plus) and the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage.

2015 Paris Climate Change Agreement was adopted by 195 nations at COP21.

2016 Paris Agreement entered into force.

THE PARIS AGREEMENT

The Philippines became a signatory of the Paris Agreement on April 22, 2017. As
a party, the Philippines is eligible to access climate finance for developing countries’

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climate actions to be mobilized by the developed countries at a rate of USD100 Billion
yearly until 2020 and more from 2025.

The financial support to developing countries comes as grants and not as loans, in
addition to any existing overseas development assistance. These grants are channeled
through the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the Global Environment Fund (GEF), as
provided in the Paris Agreement

The 1.5°C Paris goal calls all countries into action. Intervention is enjoined in two
areas: adaptation and mitigation.

IMPACTS ON THE PHILIPPINES

The IPCC Assessment Report determined that climate change will create new
poor between 2018 and 2100. Poverty breeds disaster vulnerability, and those who have
the least in life risk life the most. Indifference amounts to injustice. Adaptation,
mitigation, and risk reduction are moral imperatives and clearly social justice in action.

The Asian Development Bank developed a study on the economics of climate

change, it projects that the Philippines stands to lose 6% of its GDP annually by 2100 if it
disregards climate change risks but can avert losses of up to 4% of its GDP by 2100 if it
invests 0.5% of its GDP by 2020 in climate change adaptation.

The Philippines is highly vulnerable to the severe impacts brought about by

climate change. Below are some of the impacts that we can expect from our increased
risks: 

 The PAGASA report foresees decrease in rainfall by 2020, and extreme rainfall
between year 2020 and 2050.

 Approximately 1 million hectares of grasslands will be affected caused by extended

periods of dryness.
 The 2016 Low Carbon Monitor Report projects that 98% of coral reefs in Southeast
Asia will die by 2050, and practically an extinction by end of the century if the global
warming trends continue. Maximum fish catch potential in the Philippine seas will
decrease by as much as 50% compared to 2001-2010 levels.
 International Rice Research Institute reports that grain yield will be decreased by at
least 10% for each 1°C increase in growing-season minimum temperature in the dry
season.
 Three times higher sea level rise putting 60% of LGUs covering 64 coastal provinces,
822 municipalities, 25 major coastal cities at increased risk. 13.6 Million Filipinos are
expected to be relocated.

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  High degree of water shortage by 2040. Philippines is ranked at #57 to be the most
likely to be water-stressed out of 167 countries.
 Higher temperatures also triggers the surge of diseases such as dengue, malaria,
cholera, and typhoid, as the country already experienced in the past.
 Natural hazards such as droughts, floods and storms kill more younger women than
men in general.
 Labor productivity declines and renders 1% loss in working hours by 2025, 2% by
2050 and 4% by 2085.

 Forest fires have also started to occur more frequently and in greater magnitude, affecting
large areas of forest and biodiversity.

 Sea surface temperatures continue to rise due to the oceans absorbing 91% of the excess
heat caused by GHG, consequently resulting in low oxygen levels and ocean
acidification. In the Philippines, coral bleaching was observed owing to rising ocean
temperatures.

 For sea level rise, given the archipelagic structure of our country, the phenomenon
exposes coastal communities and their livelihoods to inundation and occasional tidal
flooding. In addition, sea level rise can also result in accelerated coastal erosion,
shoreline retreat, intensified storm surges, wetland flooding, saltwater intrusion, and loss
of habitat for fish, birds, and plants. 

 Urban areas are also expected to experience the impacts of increasing severity of
heatwaves, mean and heavy precipitation, downward wind of cities, runoff, and flooding.

 Lastly, climate change can directly affect human health as extreme heat, polluted air, and
severe weather events and hazards may result in heat strokes, increased water and vector-
borne diseases, respiratory illnesses, and malnutrition.

PHILIPPINE LOSSES AND DAMAGE FROM EXTREME WEATHER CONDITIONS

1997-1998 Severe El Niño drought

Damage: P8.46 Billion damage

2006 Rainfall amounting to over 2,000 mm in 10 days

2.6 magnitude earthquake causing massive landslide

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 Southern Leyte
Casualties: 1,221
Damage: P200 Million

2009 Tropical Storm Ondoy dumping 455 mm of rainfall in one day

Metro Manila, Central and Southern Luzon, some parts of
Visayas and Mindanao
Casualties: 464
Damage: P11 Billion

Deadly flashfloods by Typhoon Pepeng

Northern Luzon
Casualties: 465
Damage: P27.297 Billion

2011 Tropical Storm Sendong

Cagayan de Oro and Iligan
Casualties: 1,268
Damage: P2.068 Billion

2012 Destructive flashfloods by Typhoon Pablo

Davao Oriental and other parts of Mindanao
Casualties: 1,067
Damage: P36.949 Billion

2013 Super-typhoon Yolanda causing storm surges of 5-6 meters high

Central Visayas
Casualties: 6,300
Damage: P89 Billion

CLIMATE ACTION IN THE PHILIPPINES

Through the years, Congress has enacted special laws on environmental preservation,
which include the following:

Republic Act No. 8435 or the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act of 1997

Republic Act No. 8749 or the Clean Air Act of 1999

Republic Act No. 9003 or the Solid Waste Management Act of 2000

Republic Act No. 9275 or the Clean Water Act of 2004

Republic Act No. 9512 or the National Environmental Awareness and Education Act of 2008

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 Republic Act No. 9513 or the Renewable Energy Act of 2008

In 2007, Administrative Order No. 171 created the Presidential Task Force on Climate
Change to ensure implementation of environmental laws, application of technological
solutions to mitigate the impact of climate change in the country in consonance with the Paris
Agreement on adaptation and mitigation.

In 2009, Republic Act No. 9729 or the Climate Change Act was enacted creating the
Climate Change Commission. It developed the National Climate Change Action Plan that
outlines the agenda for climate change and mitigation for 2011-2028.

The National Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAP)

The NCCAP pursues the following strategic priorities, which has begun in different parts
of the country.

FOOD SECURITY : Negros Occidental. The Gulayan sa Bakod Program of the Eco-
Entrepreneurial Greens Communities, Inc. promotes community-based food gardening.

WATER SUFFICIENCY: Marikina City. Rain water catchment facilities.

ECOSYSTEM AND ENVIRONMENTAL STABILITY: New Lucena, Iloilo. Ecotourism sites.

CLIMATE-SMART INDUSTRIES AND SERVICES: Tublay, Benguet. Coffee-based agro-

forestation enjoining participation in environmental conservation, climate change adaptation and
disaster mitigation initiatives while gaining economic benefits.

HUMAN SECURITY: Banacon, Bohol. Mangroves planting and preservation.

SUSTAINABLE ENERGY: Kalayaan, Laguna. Solar Panel Installation

KNOWLEDGE AND CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT: Calasiao, Pangasinan. Complementing

efforts of the Department of Agriculture in raising awareness on the different climate change
adaptation strategies for farming.

Following its mandate under the law, the Climate Change Commission updates the
NCCAP to articulate the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) and the Nationally Determined
Contribution (NDC), which will be submitted to UNFCCC. It provides for the roadmap on how
to transition towards a low carbon economy.

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 Additionally, the CCC has instigated the following activities to pursue its objectives
under its charter.

- Facilitating the national energy policy review

- Certifying green jobs
- Strengthening the resilience of indigenous peoples and the urban poor
- Linking science, policy, and practice through expert forums
- Strengthening multi-hazard, impact-based forecasting, and early warning systems
- Engaging Civil Society Organizations
- Mainstreaming Climate Change in the National Research and Development
Agenda
- Coordinating climate actions through the cabinet cluster on climate change
adaptation and mitigation-disaster risk reduction (CCAM-DRR)
- Reporting the state of Philippine climate action to be included into the First State
of Philippine Climate Report.

II. OTHER PERTINENT RESEARCH MATERIALS ON CLIMATE CHANGE

The Paris Agreement or the Paris Accords is an international treaty on climate change,
with 196 countries adopting it at COP21 in Paris, on December 12, 2015. It entered into force on
November 4, 2016. Its goal is to strengthen global response to the threat of climate change by
keeping a global temperature rise to well below 2 or preferably to 1.5°C, compared to pre-
industrial levels.

The Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) are the heart of the Paris Agreement
and the achievement of these long-term goals. It embodies the commitments and efforts of each
country to reduce national emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change.

In response to this commitment, the House of Representatives passed House Resolution

No. 123, a Resolution calling for Environmental Emergency on July 27, 2020. It resolved,
among others, to encourage that climate urgency be placed at the center of all policy decision-
making from local to national level. 1

In compliance with the UNFCCC, the Republic of the Philippines’ NDC was submitted
on April 15, 2021. The Philippines commits to a projected GHG emissions reduction and
avoidance of 75%, of which 2.71% is unconditional and 72.29% is conditional, representing the
country’s ambition for GHG mitigation for the period 2020 to 2030 for the sectors of agriculture,

1
HR No. 123, 18th Congress, Second Regular Session

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wastes, industry, transport, and energy. This commitment is referenced against a projected
business-as-usual cumulative economy-wide emission of 3,340.3 MtCO2e for the same period. 2

The Climate Change Performance Index criticized the Philippines’ NDC to be ambitious
in its 75-percent emission target. It further said that it has no clear plan to achieve said goal and
that only 2.71 percent of it is unconditional and the rest is hinged on international finance
support.3

President Rodrigo Duterte however said in a speech at the virtual 13th Asia-Europe
Meeting (ASEM) Summit in November 2021, that “ the main burden of climate action must fall
more on the world’s worst polluters, who are responsible for the existential crisis - past and
present.” He pointed out that the global transition to clean energy cannot be at the expense of the
developing countries. He further called on developed ASEM member-nations to fulfill their
commitments in climate financing, technology transfer and capacity-building “without political
preconditions.” He stressed that “ We all need to do our part. The Philippines certainly will. But
those who benefitted from our planet the most must do more”.4

The Philippines is a part of 134 developing countries pushing for greater climate funding
pledges and deeper emission cuts from rich nations.

In 2019, Climatetrade listed the top 10 of the world’s biggest polluters as : (1) China; (2)
United States; (3) India; (4) Russia; (5) Japan; (6) Germany; (7) Iran; (8) South Korea; (9) Saudi
Arabia; (10) Indonesia.5

The COP26 summit, also dubbed as the “climate finance COP” was held in Glasgow,
United Kingdom, from October 31, 2021 to November 13, 2021. It brought parties together to
accelerate the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UNFCCC.

The 20-person delegation of the Philippines was led by Finance Secretary Carlos
Dominguez III. In his speech he said that the Philippines is “moving ahead with urgency” in
cutting its greenhouse gas emissions through localized climate change interventions and
transition from coal to clean energy. He enumerated concrete actions to demonstrate the
country’s fight in climate change. He further reported that the country has commenced in
executing practical adaptation and mitigation projects on the ground.6

Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin. Jr., also spoke before the
forum and said that “ Climate change is not nature hitting us back but it is humankind’s abuse of
nature blowing back on all of us.” As proof, he cited the Covid19 virus, and explained that
humankind may not know when and how it came about but what was sure was that “ we created
the conditions conducive to its spontaneous generation.”
2
Republic of the Philippines, Nationally Determined Contribution, April 25, 2021
3
Philstar global, Philippines Ranks 23rd among 63 states in Climate Index, December 13, 2021
4
Ibid
5
https://climatetrade.com/which-countries-are-the-worlds-biggest-carbon-polluters/
6
https://earthjournalism.net/stories/philippines-highlights-concrete-climate-efforts-in-cop26-but-groups-say-
government-should

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 He then, reiterated the Philippines’ vulnerability to the impact of climate change, the
country being an archipelagic state, and the President’s cry that “ the greatest injustice is that
those who suffer the most are those the least responsible to the existential crisis.” He called on
the developed countries to fulfill their longstanding commitment to climate financing,
technology transfer and capacity-building in the developing world.7

House Deputy Speaker Loren Legarda in a privilege speech in late November 2021,
praised the climate agenda pushed by the Glasgow delegates. She cited that they were steadfast
in advancing the country’s positions and interests particularly in pushing for the delivery plan for
the annual $100 billion in climate finance from developed countries over from 2020-2024, or a
total of $500 billion.8

List of Climate Change Research Materials

1. Asean Countries Must Act Together to Confront Climate Change

World Research Institute
By: Arief Wijaya
November 16, 2007

2. Gaps and Opportunities in Asean’s Climate Governance

Iseas Yusof Ishak Institute
By; Sharon Seah and Melinda Martinus

3. Philippines highlights “concrete” climate efforts in COP26, but groups say

Government should do more
Philstar.com
By: Gaea Katreena Cabico
November 11, 2021

4. Getting a Grip on Climate Change in the Philippines

The World Bank

5. Nationally Determined Contribution

Communicated to the UNFCCC on 15 April 2021

6. In First, Finance Chief to head PH delegation to UN Climate Summit In Glasgow

Rappler
By: Pia Ranada
October 26, 2021

7. Philippines ranks 23rd among 63 States in Climate Index

PhilStar Global
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Statement of DFA Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin, Jr. at COP26, Glasgow
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Philstarglobal, Philippines’ stand on climate crises lauded, November 28, 2021

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 By: Helen Flores
December 13, 2021

8. Philippines stand on climate crises lauded

The Philippine Star
By: Edu Punay
November 8, 2021

9. Statement of Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin, Jr. on 26th Session of the
Conference of the Parties (COP26) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change
Published: November 1, 2021

File Name: Climate Change

RRB/MJMV/LDPD 02/12/22
3:30pm

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