Legarda offers Roxas crash course on climate change

By Michael Lim Ubac
Philippine Daily Inquirer

TUGUEGARAO CITY—How about a basic classroom lesson on climate change after an acrimonious debate Sunday night?

Vice presidential candidate Loren Legarda told reporters here that she was willing to “educate” her rival, Sen. Manuel “Mar” Roxas II, on climate change issues, after the latter apparently belittled her environmental advocacy during the ABS-CBN “Harapan” vice presidential debate.

Legarda quipped that Roxas might have been taking a snack or could have left the Senate session hall early, during the countless times she delivered privilege speeches on the warming planet.

“Climate change is not just an election issue. My advocacy for climate change started in 1998. It is a timeless, universal issue,” she said Tuesday during a press conference.

Two million trees

“I am willing to teach him about the needs of the farmers and fisherfolk. I am willing to give him copies of my speeches on climate change in the United Nations and the Senate. I am willing to sit down and teach him, so that he could understand that El Niño is connected to hunger,” said Legarda, chair of the Senate committees on agriculture, and on health.

She claims to have planted over two million trees under her Green Philippines’ campaign for which she was recognized by the UN in 2001. She is also the UN Asia Pacific regional champion for climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction.

At Sunday’s debate held at La Consolacion College in Manila, Roxas had questioned Legarda’s priorities in making the environment her campaign advocacy, noting that the Philippines accounted for less than 1 percent of the Carbon dioxide (CO2) emission that is chiefly blamed for global warming.

Legarda had said that climate change was a gut issue, as the Philippines was one of 10 countries considered most vulnerable to disasters related to climate change.

Directly affects people

The El Niño-caused drought that damaged crops and the floods that killed many people during Storms “Ondoy” and “Pepeng,” showed that climate change was an issue that directly affected the people, she had said.

“This shows the ignorance and elitist nature of other people who don’t understand climate change, protecting the environment, banning cutting down of forests, rehabilitation of irrigation facilities, and preparedness for coming disasters to lessen tragedies caused by the changing climate,” Legarda said.

She called on her closest VP rival to go down to the grassroots and ask farmers, fishermen and ordinary folk about the effects of last year’s cyclones Ondoy and Pepeng and this year’s El Niño.

“To ignore climate change is to neglect the poor,” said Legarda.

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Anyone could offer help even if you are not elected on your desired position in the government.  After the 2010 election (Philippines), we could tell among them who really are public servants...or those who have a lot of personal agenda...

HP Foundation gives $500K to Chile earthquake relief

by: Sacramento Business Journal


Hewlett-Packard Co. said Thursday that its internal foundation made a $500,000 donation for relief and recovery efforts to Chile.

Palo Alto-based H-P (NYSE:HPQ) said the grant will be split down the middle between two organizations actively involved in the post-earthquake relief efforts, the American Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders.

H-P said it also launched a global fundraising program among its employees in all countries where it operates. The company has launched a dedicated Web site for employee donations, and the Hewlett-Packard Co. Foundation has committed up to $250,000 to match eligible employee contributions in a bid to raise an additional $500,000.

The Hewlett-Packard Co. Foundation recently donated $500,000 to aid Haiti relief efforts following the earthquake that devastated the country last January. In September 2009, the Foundation donated $350,000 to help the victims of Typhoon Ondoy in the Philippines.

H-P has an estimated 2,500 employees at its Roseville campus and another 1,000-plus at the former EDS facility in Rancho Cordova
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God's blessings through HP Co. Foundation.  Providing great products and paying it forward. =)