|
LOOKING
at a region-wide coordinated and concerted action,
President Arroyo set up a task force chaired by
Environment Secretary Angelo Reyes to outline an action
program against global warming that initially would be
just for the Philippines but would later evolve into a
proposal for adoption by the Asean.
The
President told reporters at an informal luncheon at the
Palace Heroes’ Hall that, “First we have to form a task
force on the substance. So I asked Angie (Reyes), let’s
see what we can do for ourselves and then let’s see if
it can be for Asean.”
Reyes
would be joined by representatives from the Department
of Science and Technology and the Department of Energy.
She said
that at the 12th Asean Summit in
Cebu, the main environment topic was the haze affecting
Borneo
and not on global warming, which was later discussed at
the East Asian Summit joined by Australia, China, India,
Japan, Korea and New Zealand.
She
expects Reyes, whom she described as a “very good
strategic planner,” to submit the task force activities
and proposals for a program of action.
Press
Secretary Ignacio Bunye said after the luncheon that
such a program is “an opportunity for the Philippines to
take a very active role within the Asean context. . .I’m
sure all agencies will be prepared to implement [the
program]. But again, the President would like to take
the initiative under the Asean umbrella.”
The
President announced the creation of the task force a day
after government meteorologists reported that coastal
parts of the country are sinking due to global warming,
and days after the United Nations alerted the world on
the serious threat of global warming on the planet. |
