LEGAZPI CITY, Oct. 13 - The province of Albay would pilot test the climate change adaptation and mitigation subjects once the guidelines in its integration with elementary and secondary schools are finalized, the Center on Initiatives and Research on Climate Change Adaptation (CIRCA) here said on Tuesday.
CIRCA's executive director Manuel Rangaza said Education Secretary Jesli Lapus has recently directed the technical staff of the Department of Education (DepEd) to fine-tune the guidelines and implement them next school year.
This means that the DepEd is finally integrating climate change adaptation (CCA) subjects in all public and private elementary and secondary schools nationwide next year but it will be piloted in Albay, Rangaza said.
Why Albay? Rangaza said that is because the province has also piloted in the country the campaign on CCA and it has all the inputs and knowhow on the subject matter obtained by the CIRCA, a special office under the office of Gov. Joey Salceda created for the sole purpose of instituting measures towards the mitigation of climate change effects.
Two years ago, Salceda initiated and hosted the National Conference on Climate Change Adaptation (NCCA), a conference that came out with the Albay Declaration on Climate Change Adaptation.
Salceda said the Albay declaration called for the mapping out of local and national policies to arrest the imminent threats posed by global warming and other environmental issues.
He said the initiative led to the passage of the Philippine Climate Change Act focusing on CCA and mitigation.
"This makes the province a mainstream of CCA in the country's educational system," Rangaza said.
As this developed, Dominador Peralta Jr., Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Bicol regional director, said he has issued a directive to all state colleges and universities, including private universities and colleges across the region to also integrate CCA in various social science subjects.
He also directed various higher education institutions in the region to coordinate with concerned agencies in propagating global warming awareness in schools and adopt strategies on advocacy on CCA and mitigation.
"Bikol has been exposed to various climate change risks such as tropical cyclones, storm surges, flooding, and landslides, hence it is our civic duty to take action against climate change through collaboration with scientist, academe policy makers, media and the community," Peralta added. (PNA)
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