Government inaction on climate crisis: Media highlight primary concerns

The Philippine archipelago lies on a major frontline of the global climate crisis. The Pacific Ocean is the “largest climate determinant on earth.” The currents of this body of water, the wind and rain that rise from its surface influence the flow of the seas and rivers in Asia and shape its weather patterns. 

But our islands and communities bear the brunt of the Pacific’s first strike. In 2022, super typhoon Karding (Noru) and tropical cyclone Paeng (Nalgae) killed hundreds of Filipinos and rendered many more homeless, unable to rebuild what shelter they had. 

On this front, there is little that individuals and communities can do on their own to alleviate the constant danger. Affecting everyone, these challenges test individual capacity to respond. It is a realm in which close interaction between the people and government is a necessary ingredient that makes it possible to reduce the threats that lie ahead. 

The Office of the President (OP) was woefully unresponsive to disasters when these struck. When he did attend the scene, the newly-elected Ferdinand Marcos Jr. seemed a bit at a loss about what the government should do, what short- and long-term measures he had to consider. 

With little official action to follow, most media were left to track disaster stories on their own. Local government units now hold primary responsibility over their communities when disaster strikes. But this means that those responsible are just as vulnerable as the rest of their constituency. When afflicted themselves, these officials may not be able to fulfill their responsibilities — a situation that has happened frequently enough for it to be noted by national agencies.

When disasters strike, the media would be the first on the ground. Beyond disaster statistics, journalists have begun to project and flag the national impact of disasters in various sites on food production and other services and supplies. 

Meanwhile, a corps of journalists did their part to cover the climate-related issues and the larger narrative arc of the global climate crisis. 

Government’s overdue actions, challenge to the press

As President and concurrent Agriculture Secretary, Marcos Jr. appears disturbingly clueless about climate-related crises and its broad impact on food production. His remarks sound as though he has yet to wrap his head around the reality of climate change and its connection to floods or droughts. 

Without understanding the urgency of the challenge, there is only the slightest possibility that Filipinos can depend on this administration to provide measures to mitigate the effects of these disasters. 

This lack of leadership calls on the media to become more proactive, amplifying the voices of those who know and the advocates who have been staunchly defending the environment. 

Climate change news requires a novel and revolutionary approach on the part of the mainstream press. They must learn to join their forces and work together, set competition aside and sustain a flow of news on policy talks, on action on the ground, identifying models and initiatives that could prove responsive to the crisis’ many requirements. 

Working together as teams, members of the press from national to regional desks could prod the government to uphold interdepartmental cooperation and collaboration — the whole of government approach that could make the difference for any effort to succeed.