The La Liga Policy Institute (La Liga) and the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) recently forged ties to push for the integration and enhancement of climate change adaptation measures among ECOP’s network of business partners.

A memorandum of understanding was signed between La Liga managing director Roland Cabigas and ECOP President Edgardo Lacson, in connection with the implementation of “Adaptayo” project of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

La Liga, a development policy research and advocacy nongovernment organization, was contracted by the DENR to provide technical assistance in implementing Outcome 2 of the Millennium Development Goal-Fund 1656 Joint Program on Strengthening Philippine Institutional Capacity to Climate Change.

‘Adaptayo,’ an information, education, communication and advocacy campaign under the Millennium Development Goals Achievement Fund (MDGF), aims to promote better awareness and understanding among Filipinos on the threats and adverse impacts of climate change.

La Liga and ECOP, a national organization of the business sector, will jointly conduct a series of roundtable discussions this month as part of the “Adaptayo” advocacy campaign, which aims to increase the level of awareness about climate change and adaptation among policy makers, local executives and other stakeholders, including the private sector and citizens’ groups.

The first of a series of roundtable discussions on “Climate Change and Technology” is scheduled to take place on October 7, 2011 at ECOP’s office in Makati City. This will be followed by the RTD on Climate Change, Human Resource and Employment on October 12 also to be held at ECOP’s office. These will culminate on the final RTD on Corporate Response to Climate Change Adaptation on October 27 to be held at the Oasis Hotel in Clark, Pampanga.

“Through the series of RTDs, we hope to get the business sector’s support and commitment to enhancing the country’s adaptive capacity to climate change, recognizing the important contribution and role of the private sector in implementing climate adaptation plans and programs,” Cabigas said.

The series of RTDs will highlight the threats of climate change to the Philippines, being one of the most highly vulnerable developing countries to the adverse impacts of extreme weather events such as super typhoons, flashfloods, landslides, and even long season of drought that is now being strongly felt by the poorest of the poor. “The recent spate of disasters brought by Pedring and Quiel highlights the need for our country to adapt to climate change, La Liga therefore joins the nation’s call, Kasali Ako! AdapTayo!,” Cabigas said.

“Disasters and severe weather and climatic events are bad for business. ECOP therefore believes that climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction make good business sense. While there are existing initiatives of the business sector around these concerns, more partnerships starting from the AdapTayo call must be pursued for more concerted efforts by all stakeholders,” Lacson said.