ARMAN BAYLON/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO
President Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday said the disastrous aftermath left by recent typhoons “Quinta,” “Rolly ” and “Ulysses” were due to the adverse effects of climate change and global warming.
“Ang problema, whether we accept it or not, is climate change,” he said in a meeting with Cabinet officials in Tuguegarao.
Speaking before a virtual summit of Southeast Asian leaders earlier in the week, Duterte said the climate disaster brought by the typhoons left a stark reminder for collective action to combat the effects of climate change.
“More importantly, we must amplify our voices to demand climate justice from those most responsible for this existential challenge we face today. Developed countries must lead in deep and drastic cuts in carbon emissions. They must act now, or it would be too late. Or if I may say addedly, it is too late,” he said.
“We must therefore further enhance our cooperation on disaster risk reduction management to reinforce our capacities, both at the national and regional levels,” he added.
According to Cagayan Gov. Manuel Mamba, the recent flooding experienced by the region was the worst in the last 45 years.
“This is the worst flooding that we had in the last 45 years. This is the first time that we had this kind of flooding. We expected this pero grabe ang nangyari,” he said.
The province of Cagayan is under a state of calamity.
On Saturday, Duterte formed a task force to streamline the government’s response in the aftermath of recent typhoons. John Ezekiel J. Hirro###