Secretary of National Defense Norberto Gonzales insistently earnestly called on all Filipinos to get organized and begin consciousness on climate change and global warming to respond to any environmental crises.
Gonzales who is concurrently the National Security Adviser issued this insistent call during a consultation dialog with the association of professional organizations and regional executives of national government agencies at the Waterfront Hotel in Cebu recently.
Gonzales shared his “heartaches” to the group on the enormity of the task and the political cost of relocating hundreds of thousands of families that were victims of typhoons “Ondoy” and “Pepeng”.
He said, on his first briefing and meeting at the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) as the DND secretary, he met with the various sectors including the scientific community to understand what really is going on with the environment and to influence his directions on how to manage the NDCC.
According to Gonzales, even with the advancement of technology and hard researches scientists are saying it’s difficult to accurately predict changes in climate, typhoons and floods.
“The scientists are saying that climate is changing very fast, that its resulting impacts are already with us,” Gonzales stressed.
“I am scared. The impact of national calamities is getting difficult and typhoons are now misbehaving,” Gonzales added.
He further said that “we build cities and communities without thinking how to manage the environment, sewerage system and waste disposal.
The recent typhoons and floods in the country showed this wanton neglect. The rivers were blocked with all kinds of waste and informal settlers at riverbanks that restricted the water flow, he added.
“Our challenge now is how to permanently move more than 70 thousand families that were victims of typhoons and how to sustain our response to these crises,” Gonzales said.
He said that the recent calamities created good in Filipinos, a lesson to ponder on. “There was an outpouring of help from all over. But we don’t have a system on where and what to give and how to help,” the NDCC secretary lamented.
“Sad it may seem but we are not ready how to respond to crises,” he stressed.
Gonzales then asked to the various sectors that attended the dialog to help inform “our people of the true state of climate change and global warming and to get organized, practice selective national mobilization and talk more on environment protection.”
“Our religion, culture and faith, a tremendous asset of our people that will propel us to become a first world country, and that should be our battle cry!” Gonzales concluded.
With this, all line agencies, government-owned and controlled corporations and local government units are enjoined to participate in the observance by conducting activities that can help drum up public awareness on global warming and climate change such video showing, symposia, hanging of streamers/banners and others. (PIA)
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PhillWORKS 6:49 am on February 5, 2010 Permalink |
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