Marcos calls for passage of law for PH's membership to Loss and Damage Fund board

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. on Monday called on Congress to pass an enabling law that will confer Philippines' legal personality and capacity to be part of the board of the climate disaster fund called "Loss and Damage Fund." 

"Precisely because of our inherent vulnerability, we are proactive advocates for heightened climate responsibility and justice on the global stage. To this end, we have secured a seat on the board of the Loss and Damage Fund and further the Philippines has been selected as host country to that fund," Marcos said in his third State of the Nation Address (SONA). 

"This will require an enabling law from Congress to confer the legal personality and capacity to the board. This welcome development shall complement all our other climate adaptation and mitigation measures and give us a strong voice to access the needed finance assistance for climate-related initiatives and impacts," he added. 

The Philippine government in December last year secured a seat on the board of the Loss and Damage Fund, which seeks to help poor nations cope with costly climate disasters.

Earlier this month, Marcos said the Philippines has been elected host of the Loss and Damage Fund (LDF) Board. It was chosen out of seven other countries.

The country's Department of Environment and Natural Resources earlier said the Philippines is "most qualified" to host the Loss and Damage Fund because it is a living testament to the effects of climate change.

While he lamented the adverse effect of El Niño to the country, particularly to the agriculture sector, Marcos called for preparedness for the La Niña season.

"Ngayon, sa pagpihit ng panahon, ang hagupit ng La Niña at mga matinding pag-ulan naman ang ating binabantayan at pinaghahandaan," Marcos said.

(As the weather changes, we are monitoring and preparing for the adverse effects of La Niña.)

"Mahigit limang libo at limang daang flood control project ang natapos na, at marami pang iba ang kasalukuyang ginagawa sa buong bansa," he added.

(More than 5,500 flood control projects have been finished and many others are being constructed.)

The President reported the almost 200 evacuation centers that have been built within two years, as well as the start of operations of the country's Disaster Response Command Center in January, which he said, "shall serve as the central hub for the government’s disaster response efforts."—AOL, GMA Integrated News