Brian Poe Llmanzares, First Nominee of FPJ Panday Bayanihan Partylist and author of a new book on sustainability, highlighted the Philippines’ urgent need to prioritize sustainability in a recent speech.
Poe, who pursued a Master’s degree in sustainability at Columbia University in 2017, emphasized the country’s extreme vulnerability to climate change and its broader environmental challenges.
The Philippines has been ranked the world’s most climate-vulnerable country for the past three years, with 33,000 lives lost and 120 million people affected by natural disasters over the past 30 years. Economic losses from these events total $3.5 billion annually, and are expected to increase significantly by 2030 and 2040.
Poe also pointed out critical issues of food and water insecurity, with agricultural production declining and the country becoming the world’s largest rice importer. Meanwhile, millions lack access to safe water, contributing to daily deaths from waterborne diseases.
Despite these challenges, Poe acknowledged efforts such as the Ligtas Pinoy Centers Act and increased government investment in infrastructure. He proposed three key policy initiatives: creating a Department of Disaster Resilience, establishing a Department of Water Management, and enacting the Young Farmers and Fisher Folk Act to revitalize agriculture.
Poe concluded that sustainability is not a future concern but a present crisis that requires immediate action to secure the nation’s future.
