TO PROMOTE environmental protection among the youth, the Department of Education held the 5th National Climate Change Conference.

The event aimed to encourage the youth to be stewards of biodiversity and become agents of change.

“We, in the Department of Education, are tasked with the responsibility to equip more learners with appropriate learning and thinking skills that will enable them to become individuals who deeply care about the environment and are ready to partake in its restoration,” Education Secretary Leonor Briones shared.

Disaster Risk Reduction Management Service Director Ronilda Co said that children can discover innovative solutions to address climate change.

“Climate change is not just an environmental crisis, but also a social crisis. This stark reality demands urgent actions taken now to avert and minimize the adverse impacts of the climate crisis. The human costs are too high not to act,” Co emphasized.

With the theme “Reinforcing the youth’s role on stewardship of biodiversity for climate stability,” the NCCC aimed to provide a platform to elevate discussions on the impacts of climate change and human actions on biodiversity, strategize participatory and concrete actions that can be done to contribute to meaningful change, and help the learners, personnel, and their families gain a deeper appreciation and awareness of the country’s vast biodiversity.

Gab Mejia, a Philippine conservation photographer, environmental storyteller, and engineer, discussed the role of the people, especially the youth, in biodiversity for climate stability. Youth panelists also discussed their initiatives on ecosystem restoration.

“We can only hope if we act. There’s no hope without impact, and it starts with us, [the youth], making sure to take that step and being able to share these stories,” Mejia said.