Senator Loren Legarda called for a decisive shift from "trauma and repair" toward proactive climate readiness.

In her keynote address at the Asia Conference on Climate Change and Disaster Resilience (ACCCDR) on April 30 at the Asian Institute of Management, Legarda called for legislation that prioritizes anticipation to safeguard communities before disasters strike.

“We must tear down the firewall between relief and readiness,” the senator said, adding that preparedness should be measured by what is prevented rather than what is rebuilt.

According to a news release from her office, the event was attended by representatives from the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, Climate Change Commission, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, and leaders from climate-vulnerable cities.

During the event, the senator highlighted the so-called "First Mile/Last Mile disconnect," where government funds exist but arrive too late in areas where they are needed.

"We have become experts in counting the dead and repairing the broken, but we have not yet mastered the art of anticipating the blow,” Legarda said.

“This disconnect is critical. It is the space where dreams are shattered and lives are lost. We must legislate for anticipation,” she added.

Legarda recalled having warned three years ago about an “existential threat” due to climate issues.

She also cited UN Secretary General António Guterres’ statement about “global boiling,” noting that intensifying typhoons, rising seas, and the global unavailability of fertilizers after fossil fuel facility destruction now accelerate food crises.

The key priorities outlined in her address include:

• Legislative Innovation: Breaking the divide between relief and readiness by releasing disaster funds based on forecasts rather than post-calamity declarations;

• Social Protection: Implementing automatic cash transfers tied to PAGASA forecasts for vulnerable groups, including women, indigenous peoples, and the elderly.

• Risk-Reducing Investment: Urging leaders and development partners to stop financing projects that restore risk and instead invest in measures that reduce it to ensure macroeconomic stability.

• Youth Empowerment: Prioritizing youth access to the People’s Survival Fund and opportunities within the PENCAS law to leverage their capacity as a "renewable resource."

“If we are serious about resilience, then our financing, both the loans and the General Appropriations Act (GAA), must stop restoring risk and finally start reducing it,” she said.

-Paraluman News