To Climate Change Commission Vice Chairperson and Executive Director Robert E.A. Borje, Commissioner Rachel Anne S. Herrera, and Commissioner Albert P. Dela Cruz, Sr.; Commission on Higher Education Chairperson J. Prospero E. De Vera III; Governance Commission for GOCCs Commissioner Gideon D.V. Mortel; and Department of Environment and Natural Resources Director Elenida DR Basug;
And to all my fellow public servants from national government agencies, GOCCs, and state universities and colleges;
Assalamu alaikum wa Raḥmatullahi wa Barakatuh.
Welcome to the Annual Climate Change Expenditure Tracking or CCET Virtual Orientation in support of our 8-point Socioeconomic Agenda and the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2023 to 2028.
This January, we issued the National and Corporate Budget Calls and kick-started our budget preparation for FY 2024 with a series of budget forums. Indeed, this is a new opportunity for us to serve the people. But we are gathered here today not only for another round of budget preparations, but more importantly, to do our part in addressing a persisting threat to Filipino people’s lives, properties, and livelihood—climate change.
And so while we are on track with our Agenda for Prosperity, our efforts will be futile if we are unable to address climate change as it continues to pose significant risks to our economic development.
Thankfully, we have interventions such as CCET that allow us to monitor the scope and distribution of climate action in the country by identifying environment-related programs and projects within the national budget.
As stated in the World Bank Group’s Country Climate and Development Report for the Philippines published in November 2022, mainstreaming climate considerations in our public financial management is crucial in climate change adaptation and mitigation.
As such, our budget to address climate change will reach Php 464.5 billion this year, equivalent to 8.8 percent of the total national budget. This is significantly higher by 60.1 percent compared to last year’s allocation of Php 289.7 billion.
The government will also prioritize climate change mitigation and adaptation programs aligned with the National Climate Change Action Plan or NCCAP. Under NCCAP, water sufficiency projects are prioritized, cornering almost 80 percent of the total climate change budget. This is followed by sustainable energy, food security, ecosystem and environmental stability, climate smart industries and services, human security, and knowledge and capacity development.
We will also continue to prioritize programs that strengthen disaster resilience including the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund (NDRRMF) with Php 20.50 billion; Quick Response Fund with Php 17.15 billion; and Flood Management Program with Php 182.99 billion.
In order to preserve our natural resources, Php 2.39 billion was allocated for the National Greening Program; Php 1.86 billion for the Protected Areas Development and Management Program; Php 1.56 billion for the Manila Bay Rehabilitation; and Php 246 million for the Coastal and Marine Ecosystems Management Program.
As we kick-off this crucial undertaking for the FY 2024 National Budget, let us intensify climate change planning and programming, and increase the convergence and implementation of climate change and disaster risk reduction programs, activities, and projects through the NCCAP and the Risk Resiliency Program.
We are glad that you are all here today so that we at the DBM and the Climate Change Commission, with support from oversight agencies namely DENR, GCG, and CHED, can provide you with updated information and better understanding of climate change and CCET as an integral part of our national budget preparation.
As stated in the World Bank Report, responding to the challenge of climate change is well within our country’s capacity. In fact, in the President's Budget Message, it is clearly stated that "our economic transformation includes a transformation to a greener economy."
So I call on all our planning and budget officers and climate change technical representatives to work together and do everything in your capacity to efficiently and effectively execute climate change expenditure tracking. Through our concerted efforts to achieve a greener economy, we can give Filipinos a fighting chance to manage life’s uncertainties in the midst of climate change.
As you discuss the top climate risks and priorities, and linkages of the PDP 2023 to 2028, as well as the technicalities of entering CCET to the Online Budget Submission Portal or OBSP, may we keep in mind that we are doing all these to ensure that our economic progress is moving towards a truly inclusive and sustainable economy—one that will be felt by every individual, family, and entity in the country, and one that will benefit not only citizens in the world today but also in the generations to come.
Thank you very much. Wabillahi Tawfiq Wal Hidaya, Wasalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu.
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