• THERESA MAE DULMAN
Negros Occidental Third District Representative Javier Miguel Benitez expressed approval for the Budget Amendment Review Sub-Committee’s decision to allocate P1 billion in funding to revitalize the operations of Project NOAH (Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazard).
Benitez also urged the national government to prioritize science and research in developing effective climate adaptability programs.
“It is our fervent hope that the government will seriously consider the vital role of science and research as a strategic approach to the country’s climate adaptability,” he said in a statement.
His stance is supported by the landmark House Bill No. 2577, which he co-filed with Panday Bayanihan Party-list Rep. Brian Poe and Batangas 6th District Rep. Ryan Recto.
The bill aims to establish the University of the Philippines National Climate Resilience Institute (UP NCRI), permanently funding and institutionalizing key climate science initiatives like Project NOAH.
Earlier this month, Benitez led a Climate Resiliency Summit in the Third District of Negros Occidental along with Project NOAH Executive Director Dr. Alfredo Mahar Lagmay.
In the summit, Lagmay revealed in their assessment that the third district scores ‘very high’ in terms of flood risk and ‘intermediate’ in adaptive capacity.*
