After Francis, France’s Hollande may visit PH

MANILA, Philippines–After Pope Francis, another VIP will be coming to the country and he may require just as tight security.

French President Francois Hollande, who is battling terrorism at home, is scheduled to come to the Philippines within the first half of the year. On Tuesday, his special envoy for the environment, Nicholas Hulot, is arriving for a five-day visit to make the necessary arrangements.

Hollande continues to face terror threats at home, with the recent killing of 10 editors and cartoonists of the French satirical magazine Charles Hebdo in Paris by Muslim gunmen.

But the French embassy in Manila said Hulot’s visit also concerned climate change since France will be hosting in December the 21st session of the Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP21).

While in Manila, Hulot will be attending high-level meetings with Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario. He will also meet with Climate Change Commissioner Lucille Sering and Sen. Loren Legarda, who heads the Senate committee on the environment and natural resources.

Hulot will also have conversations with groups and personalities advocating for climate change and promoting sustainable development.

Hulot will fly to Tacloban, Leyte, and Guiuan, Samar, which were devastated by Supertyphoon “Yolanda” in November 2013. He will also visit Daanbantayan, Cebu, to inspect the reconstruction projects of France-Philippines United Action, a consortium of French firms here involved in reconstruction work after Yolanda.

According to the French Embassy, Hulot was appointed special envoy for the protection of the planet by Hollande in 2012. His job involves “reaching out to communities on energy and climate change challenges and promoting the implementation of innovative policies to address the challenges, as well as informing the public and contributing to the preparations for COP21.”