The Climate Change Commission (CCC) will bring its flagship capacity-building program on climate change to Bohol province tomorrow.

After pilot runs in Davao and Cagayan de Oro earlier this year, Bohol is the third venue for the Communities for Resilience (CORE) convergence forum on July 27-28.

The forum will bring together local government units (LGUs) within the Wahig-Inabanga Upper River Basin, which hosts the largest and most important river in Central Visayas.

CORE aims to strengthen the capacity of LGUs to cope with climate change impacts, such as strong typhoons and severe floods and droughts.

Secretary Emmanuel De Guzman, CCC vice chairman and executive director, said Bohol LGUs will be trained in implementing climate change adaptation and mitigation, and disaster risk reduction and management.

“We aim to increase the resilience to climate vulnerability of communities in Bohol, particularly those within the Wahig-Inabanga Upper River Basin which is one of the areas in the country at high risk to climate change impacts, ’’ De Guzman said.

The Wahig-Inabanga has high potential as a source of surface water for agricultural, household, commercial, industrial and recreational uses.

It is one of the 18 river basins and communities identified by experts as pilot areas and models for the convergence of climate change adaptation, mitigation, and disaster risk reduction programs of the government.

“CORE is in line with the thrust of the present administration to prioritize the poor and promote local action,” De Guzman said.
He said the CCC is happy to bring the CORE to Bohol, which recently earned the reputation as one of the most disaster-prone provinces in the country.

The province was devastated by a 7.2-magnitude earthquake in 2013 that triggered geological and topographical changes in the province.

In 2014, flooding became the biggest concern for the province, especially in the towns of Inabanga and Duero following the onslaught of storms “Seniang” and “Quennie”.

Recently, the provincial government placed Bohol under a state of calamity after El Niño destroyed ₱313-million worth of high-value crops. (MB/Ellalyn de Vera)