WWF-Philippines: COP 26 is one of our final chances to Change the Ending for people and planet

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

The 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) happening in Glasgow, Scotland, is one of the very few COPs before 2030 - the point where if we do not halve our global emissions to keep the warming within 1.5 degrees C, the damage becomes irreversible. Urgency is key - on mitigation efforts, climate finance, adaptation, and loss and damage. The Philippines is both a megadiverse country in terms of biodiversity and 3rd in the world in the Climate Risk Index. Our voice uniquely counts in COP 26.

The Philippine government must be faithful to what the state of our people and planet unmistakably reveal. We must not waste this opportunity to avert an impending disaster for us all. We are calling on the current government, as well as candidates running for office, to champion every Filipino’s human right to a safe and healthy environment, and our basic right to exist and survive in this country. They need to present a clear vision to navigate with exceptional leadership so we all could be together in mitigating the effects of and coping with the climate crisis that affects all of us.

Thus, our COP 26 voice should resound with our commitment to: 

1. Synchronize all sectors on the goal. A commitment to mobilize and unite, from cities, government agencies, companies, academia, civil society, and investors, among others to further step up action in line with the Paris Agreement objectives to advance the climate agenda, including in greening of COVID-19 pandemic recovery finance.
2. Make national emission reduction targets to be ALL “unconditional”. Build on the momentum for enhanced Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), the National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), and Long-Term Strategies (LTS), responding to the findings of the latest UNFCCC NDCs Synthesis report. While we appreciate the commitments made by the Philippine government, we know that we can do much better knowing what we need, as only 2.71% of the 75% emission reduction target remains unconditional, while the remaining 72.29% is conditional. This gives much space for the possibility that the Philippine NDC targets will not be met. Making ALL our targets “unconditional” fulfills our requirement which could only work in our favor and also gives us a “buffer” in favor of being nature positive. Transformational adaptation solutions and increased climate funding should also be in place even as mitigation implementation speeds up.
3. Recognize and operationalize a consistent and robust integration of the value of nature in our social, economic, and political lives. These include but are not limited to legislation, policies, strategic plans, budgets, measures, and tools that include “nature” as an integral part of the framing of “cost and benefit” for our people and country. The Philippines must also champion and support technically, environmentally, and socially sound nature-based solutions for mitigation and adaptation for its own systems as well as demand this from other member-states and transboundary entities in the formal outcomes of the conference.

The message was the same over 50 years ago and we largely dismissed it. The message did not go away because the realities that triggered it now loom over us as existential threats. COP26 is one of the few remaining windows in time where we could reverse the course. There should be no other choice but to be in the service of life - ours and our one and only country, in our one and only home planet. Together, we can change the ending and we can change it NOW.

FDCP Fully Vaccinates 5,000+ Film & Entertainment Workers through its #GoodJab Vax Program

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

A total of 5,102 film and audiovisual workers have been fully vaccinated under the Film Development Council of the Philippines’ (FDCP) #GoodJab Vaccination Program in partnership with the Quezon City (QC) and Manila City Government.

The third and last batch to complete the inoculation of 3,500 workers under the City of Manila’s “Vaccine Nation is the Solution” Program, received their second doses at Adamson University on October 18. The second dose vaccination program that started on September 29 is also part of the final activities of last month’s Philippine Film Industry Month.

In this collaboration with the City of Manila Health Department with Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso, the FDCP National Registry (NR) successfully carried out the vaccination of 3,500 film and AV workers. FDCP’s #GoodJAB and Manila’s “Vaccine Nation is the Solution” are supported by SIP Purified Water.

Last June, the 1,500 FDCP-registered film workers were vaccinated in the “Bakuna Nights para sa Film at Entertainment Workers” of the FDCP and QC Government through the #QCProtekTODO program at the Quezon City Hall Vaccination Site.

“With the recent developments, including our fully vaccinated film workers, things are looking up for the local film industry. This will not be possible without the help of our stakeholders who believe in the importance of our film workers’ safety especially in these trying times. Many thanks to Mayor Isko Moreno, Mayor Joy Belmonte, and their vaccination teams, as well as FDCP’s National Registry team and FDCP employees who volunteered and provided full assistance,” said FDCP Chairperson and CEO Liza Diño.

The 5,102 vaccinated workers are all FDCP NR registrants. The national film agency compiled and submitted the list of National Registry for Audiovisual Workers (NRAW)  registrants with their information and required documents to the City of Manila and Quezon City.

 

For inquiries and other concerns, kindly email nationalregistry@fdcp.ph or visit nationalregistry.fdcp.ph.

Four Reminders for Returning University Students

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

When it comes to university, taking some time off can be beneficial. Some people may need to take a semester off to focus on home or work-related matters, while other people may choose to spend that time on other aspects of life. No matter what the reason may be for taking a break from university, there comes a time when a person has to return.

There are quite a few things that have to be done in order to fully prepare oneself for the return, ranging from making sure that a person has all of the necessary supplies to making sure that there are available resources to tackle extra work, such as essay writing services. Here are the four most important things to remember when returning to university.

1. Double Check the Necessary Supplies

One of the largest mistakes that people make when returning to university is that they may forget some of the necessary supplies. After all, when a person falls out of the habit of regular routine, such as going to class, it can be easy to begin misplacing supplies.

Most classes and courses will have a list of required items that can be checked off. Other times, a professor will be open to providing a list of required resources when asked. It is always best to be prepared for something that doesn’t happen than to be unprepared when something does happen, and this concept applies to having the supplies to do one’s best at university.

2. Review Goals and Programs

Depending on how much time has been taken off, it’s easy to forget what goals a person had in place for classes, majors, and scheduling. There’s a good chance that either an advisor knows what a person spoke about, or that there may be notes lying around with old coursework.

Whether people choose to stick with the same goals and programs that they started with in university or people choose to switch paths once a little bit more time has passed, it is always important to change the goalposts and plans as necessary. Nobody wants to get into a semester’s worth of classes only to feel as if they aren’t suited for the desired goal. A quick review of future plans can be incredibly helpful in this regard.

3. Review Resources to Rely on

Going back to university is a large undertaking for many people and as such, it is perfectly normal to feel overwhelmed at times. The best action that someone can take in regards to this is making sure that he or she has the right resources to rely on when courses get tough or begin throwing too much work for one person to handle.

Some examples of resources to rely on include study groups, tutoring sessions, or essay writing services like Homework Help Global. All of these can assist with helping people get the work done, understand what goes into the work, and know what to do for the course next.

4. Allow for Recreational Time

Last, but most certainly not least, it is important to make sure that people leave enough time for themselves. Recreational time can come in many forms depending on what people want to do with their spare time. Some people, particularly those who are more social, may find that hanging out with friends or family helps. Other people may find that going to gyms can fill their time nicely.

Plenty of people are content with sitting down and relaxing in their spare time. The point is that it is important to leave enough space for that time, as this will help people maintain their full focus for their courses.