Good afternoon, and welcome to the Philippine Business Leaders Meeting for the 28th Conference of the Parties of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change or COP28, which will be held from November 30 to December 12 this year, and the Asia Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction or APMCDRR which will be hosted in October 2024 by the Philippines. I speak to you as well on behalf of the APMCDRR co-chairs Secretary of National Defense, Gilberto Teodoro, SND requested me to respectfully apologize on his behalf. He had intended to be here after the morning ceremony in Malacanang, but was requested by the President to stay post-event for an extended meeting with him.

Before we start today, and my talk, I would like to show you 2 videos just as a quick introduction to our topics today in order to encapsulate the importance of what we’re all trying to do together, and hopefully joining hands with all of you between government and the private sector.

(shows videos)

We are at the point where climate and disaster risk are actually conjoined if you will, and therefore needs to be addressed together.

Thank you very much for joining us today. I wish to acknowledge the presence of our close colleagues in government, and of course, all those in the private sector. There are quite a number of you so I will dispense with the individual salutations, and acknowledge and thank all of you, of course very specially our partners in the private sector.

We’re here today to respond to an urgent call as you have heard in United Nations Secretary General has said that the climate change is the defining issue of our time. Every day we fail to act is a day we step a little closer towards a fate that none of us wants, a fate that will resonate through generations in the damaged done to human kind and life on earth.

Here at home, our own President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. has also stated, “I’ve always believed there’s no greater share of responsibility than the care of our environment, and as your president I assure you that our environment and our country’s resiliency and adaptation to new normals of climate change are on top of the national agenda.” For those of us in the private sector, the president has said, “the economic agenda cannot and will never be in compatible with our climate change agenda. Climate change is now an important criterion in all our integral national policies in planning, decision-making, up to the implementation of programs, the potential advantages of such enlightened policies extend to jobs and livelihoods with the unlocking of the development of the green and blue economies.”

These pronouncements have really established the ways forward for the DENR, the NDRRMC, and all our government partners under this administration. As most of you know, in the last World Economic Forum, the risk report was issued in 2023, six of the top 10 perceptions of risk in the next 10 years are environmental. This include the failure to mitigate and adapt to climate change and disasters caused by natural hazards in extreme weather events, biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse, natural resources crisis, and large-scale environmental damage events.

Without significant changes in our development policies and patterns, and proactive de-risking of investments, the intersection between natural and manmade hazards, climate change impacts, and biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse is possible. This collapse would threaten food, energy and water security, jobs, and livelihoods, and the very survival and well-being of our communities.

Climate and disaster risk amplify pre-existing vulnerabilities, conflicts over natural resources, and the stability of fragile supply and value chains. Climate-related disasters have almost doubled globally in the past 20 years. From 2005 to 2015, disasters have caused over 1.4 trillion in damage, and killed over 700,000. They have affected 1.7 billion around the world. Economic losses are rising and climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of climate-related hazards.

According to figures by the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council, between 2010 and 2019, physical losses and damage incurred due to multiple hazards including tropical cyclones and floods amounted to around USD 10.25 billion. However, these figures do not include damage and loss from slow onset, and natural technological disasters nor the non-economic impacts such as those on malnutrition and hunger, especially of our youth and children. The loss of family members, jobs, and impacts on the ecosystems that ensure delivery of services such as water.

As climate and disaster risk is complex and dynamic and systemic, the government cannot do this alone. Ensuring that the Philippines is able to prevent hazards from becoming disasters could be the greatest public good we can all deliver together, and in the coming months we have the unique opportunity to do just that.

It’s in this light that we ask for your cooperation and invite collaboration as the Philippines reaffirms our commitment to be a part of the solutions to these existential challenges.

On November 30 to December 12 of this year, as part of our global commitment, the Philippines will be participating in COP28 hosted by the United Arab Emirates. The President has been invited, and we look forward to his coming to this particular COP. It could be a first and historic occasion that will emphasize the critical importance of adaptation and mitigation, as well as disaster risk reduction to our inclusive and sustainable development as a country. COP28 promises to be a COP of action, a COP for all. The conference’s thematic areas are as a result of an open consultation with many stakeholders, and they reflect new action areas linking climate change to different dimensions of our life such as health, trade, relief and recovery, and peace. It also incorporates four cross-cutting themes that underpin effective interconnected delivery of solutions, technology and innovation, inclusion, frontline communities and finance. All are critical to the Philippines’ raise to resilience through the protection of lives, livelihoods, jobs, and the social communities for all in the emerging and blue and green economies.

In Dubai, and for the first time in COP’s history, the Philippines will be hosting a country pavilion. The pavilion represents our leadership in the Asia-Pacific region in catalyzing ambitious sustainable and transformative solutions, and the important role of multistakeholder partnerships as they play in advancing climate action. It will reinforce our commitment to global concerted action and illustrate the robust public-private partnership in the country. And we hope that it will serve as an inclusive and collaborative space for delegates to convene meetings, host side events, and showcase Filipino innovation. This could feature nature-based solutions, the shift to renewables, green and blue jobs, and the just transition of labor, innovative climate finance, sustainable and resilient urban development, and agroecological food systems as they impact hunger and nutrition.

As a hub for networking, knowledge-sharing and side events, the pavilion is a strategic and critical opportunity to engage in the global dialogue on climate action. As I’ve said before, there are themes that have been assigned to this activity at Dubai: health relief, recovery and peace, finance trade, gender equality and accountability, energy industry and just transition, multilevel action, urbanization, built environments and transport, youth, children, education and skills, nature, land use and oceans, very close to our work at the DENR, and food, agriculture and water.

We hope for your support, and in your participation as we showcase our efforts to present the Philippines as a major source of climate solutions. Together, we can showcase our wealth of natural and human capital, and our resilient and innovative spirit.

We invite you to join us in the different ways we can work together for the future we want.

For those who are indeed interested in joining us in the COP, we would be in touch with you if you indicate your interest to us today.

In 2024, the Philippines will have yet another opportunity to show that we are fully committed to accelerating disaster risk reduction. The 2024 Asia Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction is critical to this role, purpose, and goal for many reasons that we look forward to discussing this afternoon.

The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction in Geneva approached me in September of 2022 to convey the invitation to the President for the Philippines to host APMCDRR 2024. While both a privilege and responsibility, this is also a testament to our country having emerged as a model for science-informed, public-private partnership, and whole-of-society approach to the complex risks we face.

The working relationships we have formed with the private sector led by the leadership of such stalwarts and MVP, (*) and PDRF, Mr. Hans Sy and Ambassador Roberto Romulo in NRC, and of Mr. Sy in ARISE, for example, have transformed the private sector from just being a donor into a strategic partner in prevention and disaster resilience.

The APMCDRR is the primary regional platform which brings together global leaders to identify impactful and innovative solutions to disaster risk and promote coordination and cooperation in implementation of the Sendai Framework all over the Asia Pacific. This conference is expected to attracted between 3,000 to 4,000 delegates from all over the region.

In January of this year, President Marcos designated the DENR to lead the preparations for the international conference and the Secretary of National Defense has graciously agreed to be our co-chair for this very important event. This will be held on October 14 to 18 in 2024 at the PICC, and we do expect the 3-4,000 delegates representing all sectors in the Asia Pacific region to attend. Preparations are underway and we have organized an inter-agency organizing committee composed of the DENR, the DND-OCD, DBM, DFA, NEDA, DOST, DILG, DOT, DICT, CCC, the DOH, the DOTr, DOF, DOE, DPWH, DHSUD, DSWD, the NCAA, and the MMDA.

Building resilience to climate change, and reducing disaster risk are vital to saving lives and livelihoods in enabling us to achieve inclusive, and sustainable development. Disasters can erase gains in an instant in this globalized world. Development and the environment are interdependent and inextricably linked. To truly achieve resilience, this administration is thriving to deliver coherence and convergence through a whole-of-government, and whole-of-society approach.

The challenges we face are complex and they do not affect everyone equally. They require a convergence of efforts, synergies from across sectors so that we are able to respond to each of the different exposures and vulnerabilities. Only by working together can our vision of a resilient Philippines and Asia Pacific be realized.

So we hope to invite you to work with us and perhaps discuss with us how you might be able to do that in the succeeding days ahead, and we hope for your positive response to this invitation today.

Thank you very much once again for joining us, and let’s make a deal.

Thank you very much and good afternoon.