Aftermath of Typhoon Neneng in 2022 (File photo) MANILA - The Climate Change Commission (CCC) on Thursday vowed to beef up preparedness in responding to disasters and other emergencies at the local and national levels through climate action initiatives. CCC Vice Chairperson and Executive Director Robert Borje made this remark after the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) on Wednesday warned that "amihan" or the northeast monsoon affecting Luzon could cause possible flash floods or landslides during severe thunderstorms. To minimize casualties and loss of property, Borje pointed out that technologies such as early warning devices have helped provide more effective flood forecasting and warning activities. Early warning systems refer to hydrometeorological devices (hydromet) and warning stations installed in selected hazard areas in the country to collect weather risk data to be used in aiding real-time disaster mitigation effor
MANILA - President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has appointed Undersecretary Isidro Purisima as acting head of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU), Malacanang said on Tuesday. Purisima's latest designation was announced by Malacanang Press Briefer Daphne Osena-Paez in a Palace briefing. Malacanang has yet to release additional details about Purisima's appointment. Purisima's appointment came more than a month after Marcos named then OPAPRU Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. as the new head of the Department of National Defense. Prior to his new stint, Purisima served as Presidential Assistant for Local Conflict Transformation and Peace Sustainability. Purisima also worked as deputy presidential adviser for operations of the now-defunct Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace Process (OPAPP). As a former military officer, Purisima served as deputy chief of staff for operations and head of the command center of the Armed Forces of the P
MANILA - The Climate Change Commission (CCC) on Tuesday underscored the need for an immediate climate change action in the country to move towards the prevention of disasters, especially those that emerge gradually over time. "Climate action in the Philippines must address both extreme and slow onset events. Adaptation and mitigation actions, some of which are already underway in the country, would reduce vulnerability and future losses if fully implemented," Climate Change commissioner Albert dela Cruz Sr. said in a press statement. Slow onset events, as initially introduced by the Cancun Agreement (COP16), refer to the risks and impacts associated with: increasing temperatures; desertification; loss of biodiversity; land and forest degradation; glacial retreat and related impacts; ocean acidification; sea level rise; and salinization. According to dela Cruz, the Philippines has many of the tools and instruments that could reduce the damage of climate change and global warmi
BILATERAL AGREEMENTS. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida shake hands after witnessing the signing of seven bilateral documents and agreements between the two countries at the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo. The bilateral agreements cover cooperation in infrastructure development, defense, agriculture, and information and communications technology.(Screengrab from RTVM) MANILA - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Thursday pledged to provide 600 billion yen (USD4.6 billion) in official development assistance (ODA) and private-sector investment to support the Philippines' economic development plan to become an upper middle-income country by 2025. Kishida made the announcement in a joint press conference with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. after witnessing the signing of seven bilateral documents and agreements between the two countries at the Prime Minister's Office in Tokyo. He said the assistance will be given to the Philip
DEFENSE COOPERATION. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida witness Department of National Defense (DND) officer-in-charge, Senior Undersecretary Carlito Galvez Jr., and Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada shaking hands following the signing of the Terms of Reference (TOR) concerning Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) Activities of the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) in the Republic of the Philippines in Tokyo on Thursday (Feb. 9, 2023). The TOR aims to simplify the procedures for visits to the Philippines by the JSDF, as one of the efforts to enhance and facilitate cooperation on HADR. (Screengrab from RTVM) MANILA The Philippines and Japan on Thursday affirmed their commitment to strengthen defense and security cooperation during President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s five-day official trip to Tokyo. In a joint statement, Marcos and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said this would be done through "strategic reci