A total of 55 participants, 23 females and 32 males, coming from the targeted LGUs of Rodriguez, San Mateo, Tanay, Baras, and Antipolo City participated in the two-day training course. Also present in the activity was Ms. Olivia Sylvia Inciong, External Relations Officer of ADB.
The training was the third in a series of capacity building activities for stakeholders within the demonstration sites covered by the project. Dr. Victoria O. Espaldon, the project’s Capacity Building and Gender Mainstreaming Specialist, spearheaded the said activity with the rest of the project team providing support in their respective expertise. For the Climate Change Commission, Ms. Belle Segayo reiterated that all the information generated from the project shall be shared to all the LGUs of the UMRBPL. She also underscored the meaning of the Green Growth concept espoused by the project stating that it is not only conservation and preservation of the environment that is important, but also providing avenues to increase the capacity of the stakeholders to earn a living. This way the LGU and its constituents can adapt more to the effects of climate change.
The first part of the training engaged the participants to the set discussion topics provided by select experts on the field. Dr. Flaviana Hilario, Deputy Director of Research and Development of the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), talked about “Climate Change and Climate Change Scenarios, Impacts, and Implications in the Philippines.” She also facilitated the workshop on collecting, interpreting, and managing climate data. Dr. Esteban Godilano presented the “Climate Change and Risk Scenarios in the Study Area.” Dr. Nicanor Briones discussed the “Climate Change and Projected Impacts in Agriculture and Water.” Dr. Emman Lleva covered the same topic for forestry, while Dr. Espaldon for health. Godilano, Briones, and Lleva are part of the project’s team of specialists.
The second part of the activity was a string of workshops leading to the identification and prioritization of adaptation options by the province of Rizal and by the LGUs.
The training was conducted on 13-14 March 2014 at the Cloud 9 Hotel and Resort in Antipolo City. This project is jointly managed by SEARCA and ERGONS and is funded by ADB. (Jose Rey Y. Alo, photo by Romeo Estimado)
