The Ilocos Times

Believe it or not, the Philippines is the only country in the ASEAN that has not yet set a formal carbon neutrality or net-zero target. Yes, you heard that right. Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and even Indonesia have set their own timelines. Only the Philippines stands out for its absence. What happened to us? And why has this happened? Who has been negligent? Is it the Congress? Is it the Executive Branch? Or perhaps the DOE and the Climate Change Commission? Has our mass media also overlooked this? And what about social media, with its legions of bloggers and influencers—have they been silent too? Could it be that even civil society has also overlooked this crucial matter? The absence of a net-zero goal is not a minor oversight. It reflects something deeper—that the urgency of climate action has not yet fully entered our collective consciousness. This is very important to us now, and even more so for our children in the future. Let’s ...

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff Reporter Batac CITY—With the adverse impact of climate change in Ilocos Norte, the Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte in collaboration with various national government agencies and the extension directorate of the state-run Mariano Marcos State University continues to empower farmers and teach them practical ways to sustain crop productivity in climate vulnerable areas. Through the establishment of Science and Technology Community-Based Farm (STCBF) on Climate Resilient Technologies, farmers groups are being trained at the MMSU-University Training Center to assist them how to improve their farming practices across the province. Following a recent farmers training in Batac City and attended by some 40 farmers representing at least four Zanjera organizations in the towns of Solsona, Marcos, Vintar, and Piddig, MMSU President Dr. Shirley C. Agrupis urged farmers to adapt to the current challenges posed by climate change. “You a...

Laoag City —In support of “Fridays for Future” (FFF) and 350.org’s environmental advocacies, more than 50 young Ilocano eco-warriors participated in the global climate strike at the Aurora Park in this city on May 24, 2019. FFF started when 15-year old Swedish school girl, Greten Thunberg, solely began protesting outside the Swedish parliament asking for immediate action on climate crisis. It went viral and she continued promoting her advocacy on her personal social media accounts. Ms. Thunberg delivered an eye-opening speech at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in December last year. The first global climate strike was conducted on March 15, 2019 with an estimated 1.6 million students in 125 countries around the world joining the movement. Meanwhile, Switch Philippines (Switch PH) and Movement against Plastic Pollution (MAPP)-Ilocos Norte spearheaded the global strike in Ilocos Norte. It is the only province in Region I that joined this month’s movemen...