UPDATED DEV’T PLAN TO BE MORE RESPONSIVE TO DISASTER RISKS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
MANILA—The
updated Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2011-2016 will include refinements
that will be more responsive to disaster risks and climate change, according to
the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).
Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Cayetano W. Paderanga, Jr. said that the
comments, suggestions and proposals generated in a recent multistakeholder
consultation on disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation
(CCA) shall serve as inputs in updating the Plan.
“The recent flooding in Northern Mindanao brought by typhoon Sendong and the
6.9 magnitude earthquake that struck Negros Oriental remind us that natural
disasters can occur anytime and that the country needs to prepare to adequately
mitigate their adverse effects,” said Paderanga during the consultation led by
Senator Loren Legarda.
Paderanga, who is also the NEDA Director-General and chair of the Philippine
Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD), said the updated PDP will
take into account the priorities and strategies in the National Climate Change
Action Plan (NCCAP) and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management
Plan (NDRRMP). Issues and comments raised during the consultation include
enhancing the overall vision of the Plan to incorporate green and sustainable
development, ecological integrity, environmental preservation, disaster
risk-resilience and mainstreaming DRR and climate CCA into the national budget.
At the consultation, NEDA Deputy Director General for Planning Margarita R.
Songco presented how DRR and CCA were mainstreamed in the ten chapters of the
Philippine Development Plan 2011-2016. She said that DRR and CCA were one of
the crosscutting concerns identified during the preparation of the guidelines
in the formulation of the Plan which was issued in October 2010.
On the other hand, NEDA Assistant Director General for Regional Development
Marcelina E. Bacani said NEDA is providing technical assistance in
mainstreaming DRR and CCA into provincial development and physical framework
plans. She added that a reference manual for mainstreaming DRR and CCA into
comprehensive land use plans (CLUP) will also be submitted to HLURB for
incorporation in the CLUP guidelines.