Groups call on government to implement People's Survival Fund

Greenpeace, Aksyon Klima Pilipinas and Oxfam on Friday called for the operationalization of the People's Survival Fund (PSF) that is meant to finance local government projects to adapt to climate change.

For that to happen President Benigno Aquino III has to sign the revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the Climate Change Act.

“Congress must allocate at least P 1 billion to the People's Survival Fund as mandated by law. President Aquino must also sign the revised Implementing Rules and Regulations of the Climate Change Act to make the fund operational,” said Justin Morgan, Oxfam Country Director, in a press release.

So far, P500 million in unprogrammed funds have been allocated to the PSF. Unprogrammed funds are allocations that do not have specific sources of financing.

“The sooner (the fund) is given, the more time people will have to prepare,” Morgan said in a separate interview with GMA News Online on Friday.

“The billion pesos transferred to local government units is a tremendous first start, but more will need to be done,” he added.

“Beyond the PSF, both disaster-risk reduction and climate change adaptation should already be incorporated in the post-Yolanda rehabilitation plan, and then into longer-term national and local development plans and budgets,” said Melvin Purzuelo, convenor of Aksyon Klima Pilipinas.

The groups also called on the government to incorporate mitigation efforts as well in light of the findings stated in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Working Group II Report on Impacts, Vulnerability and Adaptation released on March 31.

“The IPCC report states that adaptation is not enough. We therefore need to integrate adaptation with mitigation strategies, such as transitioning to renewable energy systems,” said Amalie Obusan, regional climate and energy campaigner of Greenpeace Southeast Asia. — JDS, GMA News