ANTIQUE Rep. Loren Legarda urged all candidates to lay out their plans on climate adaptation and mitigation.

“I urge all my fellow candidates, from the national level to the cities and municipalities, to present their environmental agenda to the voters. We can start by focusing on three things: Managing risks instead of managing disasters, protecting our ecosystems, and improving rural livelihoods,” Legarda said.

The people, she added, “need to know how we as public servants plan to invest in our planet in order to address the climate emergency we are in.”

“I know that regardless of our parties and colors, we all agree that we need to save our planet—and I hope we all campaign just as hard for our climate, and lead much-needed discussions on climate change,” the Senate bet said.

Legarda emphasized the important role that elected officials play in addressing the climate crisis, especially in the level of the local government.

“Our people are looking for the climate agenda not just of national candidates, but of local ones. After all, local governments are frontliners in planning and implementing programs for climate resilience. LGUs see firsthand the impacts of the climate crisis, and they are often the first responders when the worst of the consequences come,” she said.

Last year, Legarda urged presidential candidates to emphasize the environment in their platforms, highlighting the importance of the elections in climate action, and offering several solutions for a more sustainable new normal.

“The terms of the leaders we elect in May will come within the very short window of time we have to take drastic action in order to avoid catastrophic climate change. The leaders we choose have an important role in addressing this crisis, and the impact of their decisions would last long after their terms expire,” she said.