CVF may set up regional office in PHL

THE Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) is looking to put up a regional office in the country, a move that is seen benefiting the Philippines and its climate vulnerable neighbors.

“We would very much like the Philippines to have a regional office and host us… It’s a process we hope to get it done as quickly as possible,” CVF Secretary General Mohamed Nasheed told a news briefing.

CVF is an international alliance of countries highly vulnerable to a warming planet, which also created the Vulnerable 20 (V20), consisting of Finance Ministers from its member states. It is currently headquartered in Accra, Ghana.

Senator Lorna Regina “Loren” B. Legarda said that hosting a CVF desk in the country will help the Philippines and member states in the Asia-Pacific region deal with climate related issues.

Last year, the Philippines was chosen to host the board of the Loss and Damage fund that seeks to help vulnerable countries deal with losses and damage caused by climate change.

Mr. Nasheed said that the CVF and the Philippine government must first sign a host country agreement and the approval of the CVF’s Global Parliamentary Group to set up a regional office.

“It would benefit the Philippines, and it would benefit the region. Philippines has so much experience on dealing with (climate vulnerability issues), and they’ve been very active in the CVF,” he told reporters on the sidelines.

The Philippines lies along the typhoon belt in the Pacific and experiences about 20 storms each year. It also lies in the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, a belt of volcanoes around the Pacific Ocean where most of the world’s earthquakes strike. — Adrian H. Halili