MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. expressed his gratitude on Monday for the assistance provided by the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) in supporting the country’s climate resilience efforts and promoting green growth strategies through the Host Country Agreement (HCA).
President Marcos conveyed his appreciation to former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, now serving as President of the Assembly and Chair of the Council of GGGI, during the latter’s visit to Malacañang in Manila.
Ban assured the President of GGGI’s support for the administration’s endeavors to tackle climate change. Last December, President Marcos approved the HCA between the Philippine government and GGGI, paving the way for the establishment of its office in the Philippines, although Senate ratification is still pending.
President Marcos welcomed the assistance and advice from GGGI on climate change issues, expressing confidence in the swift ratification of the agreement by the Senate.
He emphasized the significant impact of climate change on the Philippines and underscored the importance of developing effective strategies to address it. President Marcos commended the Asia Development Bank’s (ADB) mitigation strategy, highlighting its role in the country’s climate mitigation and adaptation efforts.
Ban acknowledged the Philippines’ vulnerability to natural disasters caused by climate change and reiterated GGGI’s readiness to collaborate with the country’s relevant ministries.
During his visit, Ban also scheduled meetings with senators and delivered a speech on climate change and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the ADB.
Established in 2012 at the Rio+20 UN Conference on Sustainable Development, GGGI aims to support sustainable economic growth in developing countries and emerging economies. Since the Philippines’ membership in 2012, GGGI has provided technical assistance and capacity building programs, amounting to more than USD 13 million, to help achieve SDGs, particularly in climate resilience and green growth development.
GGGI’s projects in the Philippines include initiatives such as the Provincial Agriculture Center and agri-MSME production facilities in Oriental Mindoro, off-grid solar home systems deployment in Surigao islands, and the Bataan Electric Public Transport Program. Currently, GGGI’s projects and activities in the Philippines are valued at USD 130.3 million.
