SENATOR Loren Legarda issued a forceful call for decisive, community-centered climate action as she addressed presidents and representatives of State Universities and Colleges during the Knowledge Exchange Forum on the Localization of the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) 2023–2050, held Tuesday at the GT–Toyota Asian Center Auditorium of the University of the Philippines Diliman.

Organized by the Climate Change Commission, in partnership with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the forum brought together SUC leaders and national agencies to strengthen the rollout of the country’s first NAP, adopted through Commission Resolution No. 2024-003 and submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in May 2024.

Legarda—author of the 2009 Climate Change Act and one of the country’s most prominent environmental advocates—highlighted the urgency of localizing climate strategies, warning that the Philippines’ ranking as the world’s most disaster-prone nation demands swift, coordinated action.

She cited the 2025 World Risk Index, along with the unusually high number of storms this year, as a stark reminder of escalating threats.

“This year, 23 typhoons have already entered our country, surpassing the average of 20. Hundreds of lives have been lost, and losses have reached billions of pesos,” she said. “Without urgent action, climate change could slash our GDP by 13.6% by 2040, with the poorest among us suffering the most.”

With the forum’s theme, “From Knowledge to Action: Championing the Role of the State Universities and Colleges for Accelerated Climate Action,” Legarda emphasized SUCs’ crucial role as knowledge hubs capable of supporting local governments in assessing climate risks and crafting adaptive solutions.

She urged academic institutions to lead by example by:
• integrating climate education across all disciplines;
• establishing Climate Innovation Hubs nationwide;
• adopting net-zero and plastic-free operations; and
• serving as regional centers for climate data and analytics.

Legarda also stressed that localization is not only technical but deeply human.

“It involves listening to communities, empowering women and youth, and ensuring that no one is left behind,” she said. “It means simplifying science without diluting urgency and communicating early warnings in ways people understand and can act on.”