Abangin echoes “Brokenhagen” uproar

Challenging a broad front on green policy issues, Davao del Norte Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer Felix A. Abangin chides at those skeptical of government’s pro-environment efforts saying, “political will is a collective effort” of the community.
The quick answer is in response to a query raised at the green-themed most-recent episode of the Kapihan sa Kapitolyo at the Provincial Media Center in Tagum City , which cast a doubt on the extent and sincerity of the Provincial Government’s counterpart in carbon emission reductions.
Making his point explicit, Abangin, a  former priest, cited a passage in Genesis assigning Man to be “a gardener” of the earth.
“Political will is debatable. As we are all gardeners of the earth, let us plant trees in our own lot; segregate our garbage, conserve energy, and practice low-carbon emitting lifestyles. That is the political will we are looking for, not entirely coming from the government alone”, he stressed.
The firm stance is reminiscent of the harsh criticisms thrown against the outcome of the Climate Change Summit held last December 7-18, 2009 in Copenhagen, Denmark, which observers and participants alike branded it as “brokenhagen”, “a spectacular failure”, “a weak political accord which fell short of the legally binding treaty” of reducing carbon emissions by 40% below the 1990 levels in the year 2020. It can be remembered that the rich-poor countries’ tug-of-wars and lack of unity over-shadowed the gains of the summit which led pledges to reach a modest 55 from among 192 country-participants.  
According to Abangin, the Provincial Government has been keen on enforcing the spirit of Republic Act 9729, otherwise known as the Climate Change Act of 2009, citing in particular the role of LGUs laid out in Sections 14 to 16:
“Since the visit of Sec. Heherson Alvarez last April 2009 when all the stakeholders, including Governor del Rosario signed the Carbon Cutting Coalition covenant, we have been very active in educating our people about global warming and on how to reverse climate change. We carried out an extensive campus advocacy campaigns; we went to the hinterlands and talked to the communities on how to adapt to climate change by planting fruit trees and rubber trees that do not jeopardize either their income or our environment.”
These moves, among others, by the PENR Office are in pursuit of Governor Rodolfo P. del Rosario’s firm stand on “responsible stewardship” to attain a balance between economic growth and environmental integrity. More than his Green Czar, the Governor has repeatedly called for support from all sectors to reverse climate change.