The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) on Saturday called on fellow government agencies to intensify climate change planning and programming, as the world observes Earth Day.

Stakeholders must identify environment-related programs and projects in the preparation of the national budget in line with the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028, according to a news release.

“The serious implications that climate change pose are not just a problem for the next generation but also a present danger that is undeniably felt in our time. Thus, we need to act now by protecting our planet and its natural resources before it’s too late,” DBM Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said in a statement.

“May we keep in mind that we are doing all these to ensure that our economic progress is moving towards a track that is truly inclusive and sustainable for all.”

Aside from increasing the 2023 budget to address climate change, the DBM allocated PHP2.39 billion for the National Greening Program, which includes provisions for the Protected Areas Development and Management Program, Manila Bay Rehabilitation, and Coastal and Marine Ecosystems Management Program.

“As we celebrate Earth Day, I would like to encourage my fellow Filipinos to embrace our shared responsibility to care for our planet,” Pangandaman said.

Earth Day is observed every April 22 to mobilize policymakers and society to address the climate crisis.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change highlighted in 2018 the scale of the challenge required to keep warming to 1.5°C.

This year, it stressed that global greenhouse gas emissions “have continued to increase, with unequal historical and ongoing contributions arising from unsustainable energy use, land use and land-use change, lifestyles, and patterns of consumption and production across regions, between and within countries, and among individuals.”

In addition, it warned that the pace and scale of climate action are still insufficient to tackle climate change. (PNA)