INVEST IN OUR PLANET: NEDA CELEBRATES EARTH DAY 2023

In line with this year’s Earth Day celebration theme of “Invest in Our Planet,” the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) spearheaded a series of activities to promote the conservation and protection of our planet and transition to a more equitable, prosperous, and green economy.

Led by the Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment Staff (ANRES), NEDA concluded its celebration of Earth Day 2023 with a learning event and site visit at the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) on April 27, 2023.

In his opening remarks for the learning event, NEDA-ANRES OIC-Director Rory Jay S. Dacumos emphasized the importance of the activity to better understand the contribution and impact of sustainability initiatives in addressing the persisting environmental challenges of climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss.

“We pursue the call for more meaningful collaborations among businesses, governments, and citizens including the youth towards the protection and conservation of our planet as we transition towards a more equitable, prosperous, and green economy,” he said.

Dacumos also encouraged everyone to participate, implement, and invest in sustainable practices, programs and projects that protect our environment and enhance the resilience of our ecosystems and communities.

“Your contribution and engagement are pivotal towards attaining our development goals and our collective long-term vision of a matatag, maginhawa, at panatag na buhay para sa ating lahat,” he added.

NEDA also presented the priority strategies to accelerate climate action and pursue sustainability under the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2023-2028 and the Regional Development Plan (RDP) CALABARZON. Also presented were related plans such as the Philippine Action Plan for Sustainable Consumption and Production (PAP4SCP), and Roadmap to Institutionalize Natural Capital Accounting (NCA) in the Philippines.

Representatives from the national and local government, private sector, non-government and international organizations, and the academe also provided an overview of their respective environmental conservation and sustainability initiatives, highlighting their investment opportunities for the environment and natural resources sector.

NEDA staffs, students from UPLB College of Forestry and Natural Resources, and other participants also joined the ecological tour at the UPLB-EDC BINHI Biodiversity Park, Makiling Botanic Gardens, and Department of Science and Technology – Forest Products Research and Development Institute (DOST-FPRDI).

Apart from the learning event and site visit, NEDA-ANRES also led Earth Day activities in the NEDA Central Office such as the continuing plastic waste collection campaign, information dissemination on the agency’s sustainability efforts, and a short trivia contest on Earth Day facts during the flag ceremony on April 17, 2023.

NEDA’s annual celebration of Earth Day is an essential step towards enhancing environmental awareness among NEDA employees and stakeholders. This demonstrates the agency’s commitment to foster sustainability and encourage others to follow suit.

 As the country’s premier socioeconomic planning agency, NEDA continues to push for the achievement of the environment and climate agenda of the PDP by advocating concerted actions to strengthen our resilience and mitigate climate change.