Leading society groups in the country commended President Benigno Aquino III for putting forward a bold 18-years action plan to address climate change just before the upcoming climate change summit in Durban, South Africa next week.

Amid the international community’s inability to agree on limiting greenhouse gas emissions blamed on climate change, President Aquino with the Climate Change Commission has approved on Tuesday a landmark policy that would be a guide for the country to combat climate change, said Rowena Bolinas, National Coordinator of Aksyon Klima which comprise of more than 40 civil organizations and networks.

“We commend the President for responding to the need of the country to address the adverse impact of climate change. We hope this is a signal to the continuous commitment of our government towards meaningful action on the country’s resilience to the changing climate,” Bolinas told the BusinessMirror.

Bolinas said the National Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAP) will be a boost for the Philippine delegation who will take part in the round of talks next week in Durban to achieve a legally binding agreement to aggressively confront climate change and its impacts to people.

Next week, the South African city of Durban will host thousands of officials, business people and environmental activists at the United Nations-backed climate talks.

At the announcement of the action plan on Tuesday, Climate Change Commission Vice-Chairperson Mary Lucille Sering highlighted that countries that are well-prepared are likely to generate local and international support for its climate strategy and action plan.

Sering said the NCCAP will be submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) next week in Durban in order to penetrate the Adaptation Fund as well as the proposed Green Climate Fund.

Policies under the action plan, which will be reviewed every six years include: establishment of a single water governing body; reforestation program; adaptation practices in agriculture; health; infrastructure and social services sectors in the Philippine Development Plan.

Climate Change Commissioner Heherson Alvarez, on the other hand, said the action plan is a “very encouraging development” for the country to fight climate change which has been heavily impacted by the changing climate.

“This is an important step to mobilize local actions to address climate change and disasters in the country,” Alvarez said highlighting that the action plan strengthened the country’s Climate Change Act, the Climate Change Framework Strategy and other policy frameworks of the government.

“We have eagerly awaited for this momentous occasion and we congratulate the President and the Commission. The signing of the action plan signifies the firm commitment of the government to address the vulnerabilities of communities and ecosystems and the definite direction that government intends to tackle due to the serious challenges posed by climate change,” said Angela Consuelo Ibay, Head of the Climate Change and Energy programme of the WWF.

Ibay hopes that the plan to fight climate change will inspire Filipinos to unite in addressing the issue and eventually preserve the environment.

Renato Redentor Constantino, Executive Director of the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities, said that while the signing of the country’s climate change action plan has long been delayed, he is hopeful that the government will continue to support and implement other policies on environmental issues.

“The signing took time but the climate cannot wait,” Constantino told the BusinessMirror. “We are happy, though that the president signed the document and we sincerely hope it doesn’t take as long again in getting other climate change policy needs inked and issued.”

Constantino and other leading civil society groups are also battling for the Passage into law of the Senate Bill 2811 that seeks to establish the People’s Survival Fund, a special trust fund that would allow local governments and communities to put in place climate-mitigation practices to lessen the destructive impact of natural disasters in the country. The fund also intends to provide incentives for early adaptation measures by dedicating finances for local resilience-building needs.