Senator Loren Legarda (Photo by Ryan Leagogo / INQUIRER.net)
MANILA, Philippines — Being chosen to host the Loss and Damage Fund (LDF) Board is an honor, but the Philippines must hold this merit “with awareness of the great responsibility it brings,” Sen. Loren Legarda said.
In a statement on Wednesday, the senator – who is also a staunch environment advocate – said she was elated over the unanimous decision to elect the Philippines as the LDF Board’s host.
“We shall continue to use our voice for climate justice as one of the world’s most impacted countries in the climate crisis,” she said.
“We express our unwavering commitment to action that brings urgent resources to [the] world’s most vulnerable communities, that bridges suffering and survival, and that allows our people to partake in a green economic transformation,” she added.
The LDF Board is a financing facility created by the United Nations. Its goal is to help vulnerable countries cope with the increasingly costly and damaging impacts of climate-related disasters.
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. announced on Tuesday that the Philippines had been elected to host the LDF Board out of seven other contenders.
“By its selection of the Philippines out of eight countries that made an official bid to host its meetings and official undertakings, the Board of the fund has allowed our country a great honor to support this important body of work which had taken several decades to build,” noted Legarda.
Apart from the Philippines, other countries considered to lead the LDF Board were Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Barbados, Bahamas, Togo, Kenya and Eswatini.