Villafuerte pushes Phl bid for L&D funds

Camarines Sur Rep. LRay Villafuerte, whose province was hardest hit by severe Tropical Storm Kristine, is pushing the country’s bid to access financing from the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage (FrLD) of the United Nations after the country was hit by a six-cyclone series in October and November. 

He said the fund, created by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) aims to help vulnerable countries cope with the devastating impacts of climate change.

“President Marcos is spot on in wanting to use the unprecedented devastation wrought by six cyclones this October-November period alone as ‘baseline’ for what climate-vulnerable nations have been enduring—and will be enduring in the future—plus the immense resources they need to access right away for their recovery from the disasters and preparations for future calamities,” Villafuerte  was quoted by Business Mirror.

Villafuerte’s stance aligns with the Philippine government’s advocacy at international climate forums, particularly in the ongoing COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, where the Philippines has been vocal about the need for wealthier, high-emission nations to fulfill their commitments to climate finance. 

He emphasized that the Philippines, which contributes only 0.3 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, disproportionately suffers from extreme weather events caused by global warming.

In the past COP summits in Egypt and the UAE,and in the ongoing one in Azerbaijan, Villafuerte has consistently pushed for much higher reparation from affluent country-polluters for highly vulnerable economies like the Philippines that have been suffering the most from the world’s rising temperatures and sea levels even though they are the least polluters.

In the wake of Kristine, Villafuerte proposed a P20-billion Bicol Rehabilitation and Recovery Fund (BRRF) in the 2025 national budget to support the region’s recovery.

He also called for the revival of the Bicol River Basin Development Program (BRBDP), which President Marcos instructed the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to revisit following his visits to typhoon-hit communities in CamSur.

The BRRF, if approved, will serve as a multiyear initiative to restore Bicol’s infrastructure, including roads, schools, and water systems, and boost disaster preparedness.

During COP29, Environment Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga, head of the Philippine delegation, signed a host country agreement (HCA) with FrLD co-chairs Richard Sherman and Jean-Christophe Donnellier, solidifying the Philippines’ role as the inaugural host of the FrLD Board meeting this December.

Yulo-Loyzaga echoed President Marcos’s sentiments, saying the Philippines’ experience with consecutive typhoons this year serves as a powerful example of the urgent need for accessible and timely climate financing.

After tropical storms  Kristine, Leon, Marce, and Nikka, the Philippines was hit by typhoons Ofel and Pepito in quick succession.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said this is the first time since 1951 that four successive tropical cyclones have passed over the Pacific Ocean. US weather experts described the serial cyclones coming so soon after each other as “unusual.”

Reports said almost 500,000 people had been evacuated in Bicol alone before Pepito, the sixth storm to hit the country in three weeks, made landfall over the weekend.

As the FrLD Board convenes in December, the Philippines will push for greater financial commitments under the Paris Agreement and advocate for a New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) to replace the $100-billion annual climate finance target set to expire in 2024. 

Villafuerte believes this will ensure that high-risk countries like the Philippines receive the support needed to mitigate climate-related damages and build resilience against future catastrophes.