Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman stressed the importance of identifying environment-related programs and projects in the national budget, during the Annual Climate Change Expenditure Tracking (CCET) Virtual Orientation held on 7 March 2023.
The workshop, organized by DBM and the Climate Change Commission (CCC), is in support of the Marcos Jr. Administration's 8-point Socioeconomic Agenda and the implementation of climate change provisions in the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028.
It explained to government agencies the necessity of intensified climate change planning and programming, and provided clear, concise, and up-to-date information for national government planning and budget officers, and for climate-change technical representatives to understand climate change and CCET as an integral part of the national budget preparation.
"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," Secretary Pangandaman said.
"As stated in the World Bank Group’s Country Climate and Development Report for the Philippines published in November 2022, mainstreaming climate considerations in public financial management is crucial in climate change adaptation and mitigation."
To address climate change, Secretary Pangandaman said the government has alloted a budget of P464.5 billion this year, equivalent to 8.8 percent of the total national budget. This is significantly higher by 60.1 percent compared to the 2022 allocation of P289.7 billion.
The government also prioritizes climate change mitigation and adaptation programs aligned with the National Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAP). Water sufficiency projects are prioritized, with almost 80 percent of the total climate change budget, followed by sustainable energy, food security, ecosystem and environmental stability, climate smart industries and services, human security, and knowledge and capacity development.
Disaster resilience is likewise prioritized, including the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund (NDRRMF) with P20.50 billion; Quick Response Fund, P17.15 billion; and Flood Management Program, P182.99 billion.
The National Greening Program gets P2.39 billion: P1.86 billion for the Protected Areas Development and Management Program; P1.56 billion for the Manila Bay Rehabilitation; and P246 million for the Coastal and Marine Ecosystems Management Program.
In her message, Secretary Pangandaman urged all planning and budget officers and climate change technical representatives to provide climate change expenditure tracking efficiently and effectively.
"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 will benefit not only citizens in the world today but also in the generations to come," said Secretary Pangandaman.
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