BALANGA CITY (PIA) — The Climate Change Commission, in partnership with Bataan Peninsula State University (BPSU), gathered national and local stakeholders for the Bataan Climate Action Summit to strengthen local climate action and advance the province’s shared vision of achieving a NetZero, Livable Bataan by 2050.
Held from June 29 to 30 at the Bataan Tourism Pavilion in Balanga City, the summit brought together representatives from national government agencies, local government units, the private sector, and the academe to discuss the province’s climate situation, decarbonization pathways, climate investments, technology adoption, and strategies to build resilience toward a net-zero and livable future.
The two-day event also highlighted community-based climate action, livelihood support, greening initiatives, and inclusive participation of the youth, Indigenous Peoples, and other vulnerable sectors, reinforcing the role of communities in addressing the impacts of climate change.
In a video message, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. underscored the importance of the summit in aligning local initiatives with the country’s climate commitments and sustainable development agenda.
“This event provides a vital platform for policymakers, scientists, private institutions, and communities to realign our national goals with global climate commitments and the broader agenda of sustainable development,” the President said.
Marcos said the government continues to lay the foundation for an inclusive and climate-resilient future through the National Adaptation Plan, the Nationally Determined Contribution Implementation Plan, and programs promoting renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, and climate finance.
He urged Filipinos to actively support climate resilience efforts and embrace climate action as both a civic responsibility and a pathway to national prosperity.
Climate Change Commissioner Albert Dela Cruz Sr. called for stronger collaboration among government, academic institutions, and stakeholders to translate commitments into concrete climate initiatives.
“We want BPSU to be our partner with the Climate Change Commission and the Office of Bataan 1st District Representative Antonino Roman III for the detailed feasibility study of the Bataan carbon market,” he said.
Dela Cruz also stressed the urgency of responding to climate change, noting that while climate change is a natural characteristic of a living planet, the unusually rapid pace of change poses serious risks.
“We are here today not only to have a conference but also to sign documents for climate action. We are intentionally doing this in front of our young leaders. We are doing this because we are talking about our children; we are talking about intergenerational aspirations and intergenerational hopes,” he added.
Meanwhile, BPSU President Ruby Santos-Matibag reaffirmed the university’s commitment to integrating climate action into its core functions.
“For Bataan Peninsula State University, climate action is not simply a subject for discussion. It is a responsibility that we must fulfill through our teaching, research, campus operations, and service to the communities of Bataan,” she said.
Santos-Matibag expressed hope that the summit would produce stronger partnerships, clearer commitments, and concrete actions that would benefit communities across the province.
The summit reinforced the government’s commitment to strengthening science-based, inclusive, and collaborative climate governance while empowering local communities to contribute to the country’s long-term climate resilience and sustainable development goals under the Bagong Pilipinas agenda. (CLJD/RPQ, PIA Region 3-Bataan)
