| Philippines is one of the most affected and vulnerable | | | | to help prepare third world communities and people |
| countries in the world. It is annually visited by twenty | | | | toward climate change preparedness, adaptation and |
| typhoons, bringing heavy rainfall that causes flooding, | | | | mitigation while uplifting the people's economic and |
| landslides and mudslides. These in turn destroy | | | | organizational capacity to withstand its adverse |
| valuable agricultural land and settlements, and claim | | | | effects. |
| many lives every year. Other hazards such as El Nino | | | | Because of these human-made problems, people |
| aggravate the extent of these damages, which sum | | | | around the world, including those in vulnerable |
| up to an annual loss of 0.5% of the country's gross | | | | countries such as the Philippines, are ready for action. |
| domestic product (GDP). | | | | And one of the best ways to do this is for |
| Eastern Visayas, mainly consisting of the islands of | | | | communities around the world to be: |
| Leyte, Samar and Biliran, is one of the most disaster | | | | 1. Educated: People should individually study the |
| prone regions in the Philippines, experiencing some of | | | | various aspects of climate change, including the |
| the worst typhoons ever recorded in Philippine | | | | scientific basis, environmental and social impacts, |
| history, killing over a thousand people through a | | | | policy and strategy options, and operational |
| mudslide in February 2006, and over 6,000 people | | | | measures, most especially those related and |
| due to typhoons back in 1990-1991. Disaster | | | | applicable to their own communities. |
| preparedness is one of the weaknesses of the | | | | 2. United: Key representatives from the different |
| region and for the most part, it is still seen as | | | | sectors of the society should unite themselves in an |
| emergency management. The government and the | | | | organization to discuss and express their concerns |
| local people are neither sufficiently prepared nor well | | | | about climate change-related problems, and present |
| equipped to implement preventive measures and | | | | and represent the people's needs to higher authorities |
| execute the right actions in the event of an | | | | such as the local governments. Climate change |
| emergency. Furthermore, the archipelagic nature of | | | | initiatives all over the world should also be united for |
| the country further increases its vulnerability to the | | | | their actions to be more efficient and all |
| rising sea levels brought about by melting polar ice | | | | encompassing. |
| caps. Some of the islands will thus be underwater and | | | | 3. Cooperative: When the government and |
| marine resources will be extinct within the century, | | | | non-government organizations initiate climate change |
| according to United Nations studies. | | | | programs, communities should more willingly help and |
| The Philippines account for only 1/3 of 1% (0.3%) of | | | | cooperate with them, for they are in fact the |
| all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions all over the world, | | | | beneficiaries of all these efforts. |
| and it seriously suffers from the other 99.7% GHG | | | | Each of us has the power to make the transition to |
| produced by other countries. This is why the big GHG | | | | a better, more sustainable future for us, our children |
| emitting countries, namely the United States, China, | | | | and the generations to come. Together, our efforts |
| Russia, Japan and members of the European Union, | | | | will help solve the climate crisis. |
| must take the lead in initiating and continuing actions | | | | |