Days before the United Nations conference on climate change on November 30- December 11, 2015 in Paris, France, which is expected to come up with a binding global targets to reduce greenhouse emissions, LCP joins in the biggest global network of local leaders pledging to localize their actions.
Nineteen cities (19) joined the Compact of Mayors national launch on November 12, 2015 at the Sequoia Hotel, Quezon City.
Fifteen cities, represented by their mayors, submitted their Letter of Intent and committed to intensify their local climate change action programs in the next three years.
Several mayors attended the launch. These were Mayors Michael Rama (Cebu City), Maribel Eusebio (Pasig City), Gerardo Valmayor, Jr. (San Carlos City), Reynaldo San Pedro (San Jose del Monte City), Nestor Alvarez (Science City of Muñoz), Ferdinand Tubban (Tabuk City), and Eric Saratan (Talisay City, Negros Occidental).
Four Mayors - Herbert Bautista (Quezon City), Arlene Arcillas (Sta.Rosa), Stephany Uy-Tan (Catbalogan City), and Romulo Peña, Jr. (Makati City – who had earlier signed the Compact welcomed the new batch of cities.
Eight Mayors - Mayors Mauricio Domogan (Baguio City), Eduardo Dimacuha (Batangas City), Oscar Moreno (Cagayan de Oro City), Jaime Fresnedi (Muntinlupa City), John Bongat (Naga City), Edwin Olivarez (Parañaque City), Lucilo Bayron (Puerto Princesa City), and Jefferson Soriano (Tuguegarao City) – sent their Letters of Intent through their representatives.
LCP President and Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista, in his welcome remarks, said that LCP is ready to take on the challenge. ‘We would wage a long and drawn-out transformation of our society in every manner possible to adapt to and fight climate change… [it is] our testament – as City Mayors and as true Climate Leaders – to lead and promise our constituents that we will never falter,” he added.
ICLEI SEAS Regional Director Victorino Aquitania said that impact of climate change is felt most in island-countries like the Philippines where most of its cities are located along the coastlines, “Cities and towns are climate leaders; they are in the best position to effect real change…With our region as one of the most vulnerable in the world to climate change impacts, it is incumbent upon Mayors – who are directly responsible for the well-being of their constituents – to take action.”
Assistant Secretary Josefina Castilla-Go of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) hopes more Philippine cities join in the Compact of Mayors. Asec Castila-Go said that joining the network enhances their performance in working towards their Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG).
The SGLG is a national performance benchmark system which includes integrating climate change action – disaster risk reduction management initiatives. She also added that the national government is opening avenues for financing schemes for cities to avail in implementing climate-related initiatives.
ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability – Southeast Asia organized the event with LCP and Quezon City government as partners. The Compact of Mayors is a coalition of 361 cities from around the world which helps reduce greenhouse emission, conducts public reporting of their GHG emission, and registere their initiatives in the global Carbon Climate registry in the next three years.