Press Release
October 15, 2009

Amid climate change disasters
Pia: Educate youth on climate change

Senator Pia S. Cayetano today urged education officials to aggressively implement a new law that will integrate environmental education in the school curricula at all levels in order to raise the youth's awareness on the cause of natural disasters that have hit the country recently.

Cayetano said Republic Act 9512, or the "National Environmental Awareness and Education Act of 2008," will give young students a broader understanding of climate change and the crucial role of disaster-risk management amid all these calamities.

"It will take several years to reconstruct and rehabilitate the physical damage wrought by massive flooding and landslides. But it might have to take an entire generation to correct our people's outlook and attitude towards the environment, including our understanding of climate change and the measures necessary to mitigate the risk and effects of disasters," said Cayetano, a principal author of RA 9512.

"Along with the rehabilitation of typhoon-damaged communities, we must also rebuild public awareness and concern for the environment by educating our youth on urgent concerns such as climate change and the degradation of our natural resources."

RA 9512 requires the Department of Education (DepEd), the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), among others, to integrate environmental education in the school curricula at all levels, whether public or private.

"Our people have witnessed first-hand its effects, yet many of us remain clueless about climate change. Educating our youth is actually an investment on our future, since we are creating an entire generation of citizens who would be more responsible and possess a deep commitment for the environment."

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