Iligan City - The Iligan City Climate Alliance or Climax, lead by the Ecosystems Work for Essential Benefits, Inc or EcoWEB organized a candle lighting vigil on December 12 in solidarity to the call of both rich and poor communities all over the globe to pray that the world's decision-makers who are now in Copenhagen, Denmark for the UN COP15 climate change negotiations will come up with reasonable and clear decisions in the reversal of global warming and climate change through morally guided measures and strategies.
The said climate action vigil was held in front of the St. Michael’s Cathedral in Iligan City at around 7 in the evening together with about 22 cities in the Philippines and 190 countries all over the world.
EcoWEB, Inc. is one of the main organizer of the International Day of Climate Action last October 24 which organized the biggest 350 human formation in the Philippines. The said event in October 24 supported the global call to reduce greenhouse gas emission to 350 parts per million (ppm) which scientists agreed to be the safe limit in the atmosphere. Currently, we have 387ppm which explains why we have global warming and climate changes.
The vigil is joined in by EcoWEB, Inc lead by Regina Antequisa, the Executive Director. The Solid Waste Management Program of the City of Iligan also joined the event which is represented by Ms. Tess Andos. Students from MSU-IIT and the Iligan City National High School (ICNHS), which formed the biggest 350 human formation also joined the vigil. Carino “Rock-rock” Antequisa, Philippine Accompanier of the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development or CAFOD also participated.
EcoWEB and CAFOD is currently implementing Disaster Risk Reduction covering Lanao del Norte, Misamis Oriental and Zamboanga del Sur. The said program aims to empower local communities and LGUs to adapt and respond to the hydro-meteorological hazards brought about by climate change. The said program mainstreams DRR in Comprehensive Land Use Plan, Comprehensive Development Plans and Barangay Development Plans.
EcoWEB also made a statement which asserts that the poor nations and communities will be the hardest hit on the impacts of climate changes (hydrometeorological hazards) and that concrete strategies should be given priority by the government and that includes the implementation of the Hyogo Framework for Action which Disaster Risk Reduction. It also asserts that the HFA should not be treated as a separate document in addressing climate change, but rather reinforcing the current adaptation strategies identified in the Kyoto Protocol.
EcoWEB, together with the City Government of Iligan spearheaded by Mayor Lawrence LL. Cruz, hopes to craft a concrete climate change adaptation agenda in 2010 which aims to build resilient barangays in Iligan City.
With reports from
Mark A. Cervantes
Project Officer
Disaster Risk ReductionECOWEB, INC.
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