Environment Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga expects Congress to soon pass legislation providing a legal framework for the Loss and Damage Board, which will be hosted by the Philippines.

During the Malacañang Insider program aired on Friday, Loyzaga expressed the government’s gratitude for the opportunity to host the Board in the Philippines.

That brings the country at the center of “this very long battle to have loss and damage recognized by developed countries,” Loyzaga said, especially on the vulnerability of developing nations as a result of events not in their own making.

“So, the Loss and Damage Fund Board requires legislation because we actually need to view it with privileges and immunities as a legal entity. And therefore, we had to go to Congress and we had to go to the Senate,” Loyzaga said.

She mentioned that both Houses of Congress are almost done with the third and final reading of the proposal.

“So, what will happen now, is possibly they will converge into (bicameral) and hopefully we will get that passage very soon, after which we had to agree with…. FCC and the board on the host country agreement. And once that’s done, we will be effectively the host of the Loss and Damage Fund Board,” she said.

After the Philippines secured a seat on the inaugural Loss and Damage Fund Board at the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai last December, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. announced in July that the country had been elected to host the Board, out of seven other contenders.

President Marcos said the Philippines is “honored to have a seat on the Board itself, ensuring that the Philippines will be a formidable voice in promoting and advancing global climate action – an issue of critical interest to the country.” PND