Solidarity and participation highlighted the opening of the 16th Annual Global Warming and Climate Change Consciousness Week (CCC Week) on November 20. Bohol’s own first district representative Edgar Chatto underscored the need for awareness and cooperation in the fight against climate change, calling for a whole-of-nation approach. “Our cooperation, collaboration and unity are crucial in our long fight against climate change. This whole of nation approach brings together the government, private sector, academe, the youth, and the community in finding solutions for climate change,” Chatto, who chairs the House Committee on Climate Change stated. “We all have a role to play in this mission. Let us work together to take a stance in support of our planet and be involved in creating solutions to mitigate the effects of global warming and climate change,” President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos, Jr. said in his message. Under Republic Act 9729, the President chairs the Climate Change Commission (CCC), who spearheaded this year’s observance. Themed, “Bayanihan para sa Klima: Bagong Bansang Matatag,” and anchored to the President’s vision of a low-carbon economy and climate-resilient country, the opening ceremony of the annual observance was graced by representatives from national government agencies, development partners and civil society organizations. Senator Loren Legarda, for her part, emphasized aligning policies with national and international frameworks and legislative commitment to climate resilience. Edicio Dela Torre, President of Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement (PRRM), Silvestre Barrameda, Jr., Executive Director of the National Resilience Council, Ambassador Majid Al Sulwaidi, Director-General and Special Representative of the COP28 Presidency expressed support for urgent and united response to the climate crisis. Secretary Robert EA Borje, CCC Vice Chairperson and Executive Director, welcomed the call to collective action. “The CCC Week is more than a series of events; it’s about cultivating a mindset and awareness that extends beyond these commemorative days. It’s a call to unite in purpose for the well-being of our nation and our planet,” he pointed out. In a simultaneous event, an art exhibit, “Stories of Resilience,” opened with a collection of photographs and poetry capturing the resilience, hope, and inspiration of Filipinos in the face of climate change and disasters. The ribbon-cutting ceremony was attended and witnessed by Leyte 3rd District Representative Anna Victoria Veloso-Tuazon; Marcel Silvius, Philippines’ Country Representative of GGGI; Jon Villasenor, WASH in Schools Officer at UNICEF Philippines; and National Panel of Technical Experts: Dr. Jimmy Masagca, Dr. Eduardo Mangaoang, Dr. Gay Defiesta, Dr. Emma Porio, Dr. Richard Muallil, Dr. Zenaida Andrade and Dr. Angela Zafra. The exhibit ran from November 20 to 24 at the Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria.