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The effort to control climate change has trickled down to the local government levels as the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) pledged their support to zero-waste management campaign and transform their garbage dumps into eco-parks.

This was disclosed by LMP national president Mayor Ramon Guico Jr. who said that mayors nationwide have made a commitment to comply with the provisions of Republic Act 9003 which provides for an ecological solid waste management program.

Guico said, “We just need to sustain our efforts in raising awareness of other mayors to be more sensitive to climate change in order to build our local capacities to weather any storm that might hit us in the future.”

The issues on climate change, disaster risk reduction, health concerns, economic development to population were discussed by the mayors during the LMP’s 2009 General Assembly, as Guico called on future local officials to continue the advocacy that they have started on climate change and disaster risk reduction.

Guico who is on his third and last term as mayor of Binalonan said, “We engineered the LMP in order to make it a responsive and responsible association of Philippine municipalities.” He hopes that the new LMP officers would sustain the reforms that their administration had already put in place.

Future LMP administration should focus on climate change, disaster risk reduction and local government response to calamities, Guico said as he speaks on the devastation that the country suffered during the onslaught of typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng. “Evident from these two destructive typhoons were our utter neglect to protect the government that resulted in severe climate change.”

Guico added, “I urge the new local leaders of 2010 no to lose sight of the fact that our job is to inspire and drive our colleagues and constituents to excel so we can build better nation and effective local governance.”