MANILA, Philippines — Negros Occidental 3rd District Rep. Javier Miguel Benitez emphasized the use of creative industries and technology to enable the public ito understand climate resilience.
In a statement on Saturday following his visit to the University of the Philippines Resilience Institute - Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards Center (UP RI-NOAH Center), Benitez met with its Director Mahar Lagmay, UP College of Fine Arts Dean Toym Imao and former UP Film Institute director Rob Rownd to explore how the arts can elevate climate change narratives.
The lawmaker is also the chairman of the House Special Committee on Creative Industries.
The dialogue covered flood management, the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in disaster resilience, and the potential for global platforms like Netflix to shape awareness of community resilience.
"The exchange highlighted how the arts and creative sectors can help bridge the gap between science, public understanding, and community resilience," Lagmay said in his Facebook page.
The visit also emphasized that the creative sector was vital for translating complex scientific data into actionable public knowledge.
Benitez filed several bills that were instrumental in climate mitigation, including House Bill 2577, which seeks to convert the current UP RI into the University of the Philippines National Climate Resilience Institute (UP NCRI).
He is also the author of House Bill 694, or the “Department of Climate Resilience Act of 2025,” as well as the co-author of House Bill 4420, the “Climate Accountability (CLIMA) Act,” which aims to protect vulnerable communities from loss and damage by establishing corporate and state accountabilities for greenhouse gas emissions
