Government Appropriates P1 Billion in the People’s Survival Fund

MANILA, 22 October 2015—Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima announced today that the 

PhP 1 billion People’s Survival Fund (PSF) will soon be ready to be accessed by local

government units and local/community organizations for their climate change adaptation

projects.

"In the Vulnerable 20 Summit last 9 October, we led a call for concerted action against

climate change, focusing on climate finance as a powerful tool. The 20 most vulnerable

countries face economic losses from climate change amounting to 2.5% of our GDP per

year, at US$45 billion in 2010 and expected to increase almost 10-fold to $418 billion in

2030, according to the World Bank."

"Here at home, the PSF is an example of the government's commitment to protecting those

most vulnerable from the effects of climate change. I look forward to the PSF financing

innovative and adaptive projects in response to climate change," Purisima said.

The PSF was created by Republic Act 10174 to enable the government to address the

problem of climate change. The law also mandates the creation of a Board to provide overall

strategic guidance in the management and use of the fund.

The Board is headed by the Secretary of the Department of Finance. Its members are the

vice chairperson of the Climate Change Commission, secretary of the Department of Budget

and Management, director general of the National Economic and Development Authority,

secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government, chairperson of the

Philippine Commission on Women, representative from the academe and scientific

community, business sector, and non-government organizations.

Specifically, the fund is intended for adaptation activities that include water resources

management, land management, agriculture and fisheries, health, among others, and serve

as guarantee for risk insurance needs for farmers, agricultural workers and other

stakeholders.

It will also be used for establishing regional centers and information networks and

strengthening of existing ones to support climate change adaptation initiatives and projects,

for setting up of forecasting and early warning systems against climate-related hazards,

support to institutional development such as preventive measures, planning, preparedness

and management of impacts relating to climate change, including contingency planning for

droughts and floods.

The PSF will formally announce its Call for Proposals on 28 October 2015, at 11:00 am -

1:00 pm at St. Giles Hotel Makati. The Climate Change Office-Climate Change Commission,

as Secretariat to the PSF Board, is tasked to receive and pre-assess the proposals. 

References:

MAY DE GUZMAN

psfboard.secretariat@gmail.com 

RHEA UY
reauy_opasc@yahoo.com