TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte, March 30 (PIA) –The Climate Change Commission, in partnership with the United Nations Development Program and the Australian government conducted a two-day seminar-workshop for LGU information officers and media practitioners in Eastern Visayas in March 26-27, here.
The workshop was aimed at intensifying public awareness and translating such awareness into action by improving people’s perception of their role in environmental protection.
“The media and information officers play a critical role in raising awareness of the communities,” Climate Change Commission Assistant Secretary Joyceline Goco said in her message during the workshop.
It cannot be denied that mainstream media is considered as an indispensable source of information and has a role of shaping people’s awareness and concern in relation to climate change advocacy due to its reach and social influence in the people’s lives noting that ordinary people are more likely to trust the mainstream media more than they do with the social media where anyone can post a blog on any information which cannot be relied on.
The workshop tackled the role of natural resources in building resilience of coastal areas; post-Haiyan hazard and exposure information for rehabilitation and recovery; building media’s resiliency to climate impacts and disasters and understanding climate system and climate change including disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation in the Philippines.
Imelda Albano, President of the Philippine Network of Environmental Journalists, Inc. (PNEJ) and Red Batario, Executive Director, Center for Community Journalism and Development shared also some tips and innovative tools in reporting issues on climate change.
Meanwhile, the Resilience and Preparedness toward Inclusive Development (RAPID) Program, a component of the Project Climate Twin Phoenix was also given emphasis in the discussion of the resource speakers.
RAPID is envisioned to strengthen the capacity of local government units (LGUs) and their communities particularly those living in coastline areas to manage risks from and adapt to the overall impacts of climate change toward a resilient and sustainable development.
The workshop also conducted field visits in some transitional and permanent shelters in the city where participants talked to selected occupants about their knowledge on climate change and how they deal with the resettlement process.
Part of the workshop output, the participants together with Philippine Information Agency in the region, formulated initial assessments and proposed steps towards building a climate-change resilient community.
With this development, it is expected that vulnerable communities in the region would become more knowledgeable about their risks when a disaster occurs and how they prepare to lessen the severe impact on people. (ajc/cba/PIA-8)
