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Hollande says PHL a prime example for climate change awareness


On his second day in the country, French President François Hollande said the Philippines is a perfect example of how climate change affects everyone, citing what happened in Samar during the onslaught of super typhoon Yolanda, a report on GMA News TV's “Balita Pilipinas” said Friday.

Hollande said this during a speech in his visit to Guiuan, Eastern Samar, one of the severely affected areas when Yolanda lashed through Central Philippines in November 2013.

“But we need the Philippines, we need countries which not only were victims of disasters but also countries that were able to invent policies and to express a number of recommendations that will be examples for the France conference,” Hollande said in his native tongue.

He was referring to the International Conference on Climate Change, which France will host in December.

Hollande said the Philippines, which he lauded for its resiliency in the face of Yolanda, was a great eye-opener to convince other countries to come up with concrete reforms for climate change.

During his visit to Guiuan, Hollande signed a rehabilitation agreement with the Department of Social Welfare Development and a French non-government organization, the report said.

He also met with residents and visited the town proper including the churches, seafront and market place.

Hollande is scheduled to visit selected European schools in Parañaque City after his trip to Guiuan. Due to this, a truck ban was implemented on Doña Soledad Ave. from 12 noon to 8 p.m. on Friday. Tricycles were also banned along the streets of Brgy. Don Bosco.

Hollande will also meet with the French community at the French School of Manila.

The French president arrived in the country on Thursday for a two-day state visit expected to strengthen French-Philippine ties through bilateral agreements on tourism, education and tourism.  —Andrei Medina/KBK, GMA News

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