Climate Change, Nation

#NowPH Day emphasizes need for climate action

CLIMATE ACTION. The National Day for Youth in Climate Action’s inaugural celebration encourages the youth’s participation to combat the threat of climate change. Image courtesy of Nico Villarete

MANILA, Philippines (Nov. 26, 2015) — After a campaign that lasted more than a month, #NowPH’s efforts to raise awareness on the need for climate action culminated in the National Day for Youth in Climate Action on Wednesday, November 25.

Greeneration Philippines, a campaign by the Climate Change Commission, the National Youth Commission, and the USAID-B-LEADERS Project organized activities that would encourage the youth to “initiate climate change adaptation and mitigation measures in their respective schools and communities.”

For the first half of the day, students of Rizal High School in Pasig City made a human banner reading, “Act for Our Future,” “#NowPH,” and “Below 1.5°C.” A thousand students took part in the formation that showed their support for the Philippine delegation to the Paris climate talks.

In the summit that followed the morning program, partner institutions delivered their messages of support for the initiative, while members of several youth organizations discussed their group’s #NowPH activities.

Response

After gathering pledges through the online campaign and the partnerships with schools and youth organizations, NYC Commissioner Dingdong Dantes announced that #NowPH had reached more than a million signatures of support, which was turned over to the Philippine delegation.

The pledges, according to the organizers, “symbolize the country’s unified desire for a successful climate change negotiation.”

Aside from the signatures, #NowPH hoped to promote simple acts to mitigate the threat of climate change. Called “15 Ways to Low Emission Development Strategies (LEDS),” the actions provide the youth with a general idea of how to live a more “climate resilient” and “climate-smart” lifestyle.

Because the LEDS were promoted by personalities and industry leaders with a significant following like Alden Richards, Jiggy Manicad, and Kim Atienza, many members of the youth community responded by making their own pledges.

rappler_64  by Bea Orante | Rappler.com