Manila: The Climate Change Commission (CCC) has underscored the importance of empowering local government units (LGUs) to effectively address the challenges posed by climate change and mitigate disaster risk across the Philippines. According to Philippines News Agency, CCC Vice Chairperson and Executive Director Robert E.A. Borje highlighted the National Adaptation Plan (NAP), which serves as a roadmap for enhancing the country's climate resilience. Borje stated that the country's NAP, submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) earlier this year, outlines strategies for adaptation and disaster risk reduction, aiming to empower communities against the worsening impacts of climate change. He emphasized the need for LGUs to have primary access to the NAP's data, climate projections, and recommendations to address vulnerabilities at the community level. Borje remarked, "This plan will be most effective if it's localized. We really need the direct intervention sa kanila (to them), and we need to empower them." Borje stressed that LGUs, in collaboration with concerned national government agencies, must be able to download the data, apply the recommendations, and integrate these resources into their own climate policies. He noted that recent weather disturbances have become more intense and devastating, and the country's exposure to risks and hazards has increased. The NAP has been distributed to different government agencies with a directive from President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to localize them, highlighting the importance of providing guidance and assistance to areas that need support from various LGUs to improve climate change mitigation efforts at a local level, ultimately benefiting the country as a whole. As the Philippines prepares for Climate Change Consciousness Week, scheduled from Nov. 19 to 25, the CCC reiterated the role of LGUs as vital players in achieving climate resilience. Borje also called on all sectors, including media, civil society, and the private sect or, to support LGUs in building adaptive capacities and raising climate awareness.