THE Philippines should put climate change at the center of Asean’s security agenda as it chairs the regional bloc this year, officials and experts said Monday.
Environment Secretary Juan Miguel Cuna, speaking at a climate forum in Makati organized by political consultancy firm Stratbase and the German Embassy, called for an integrated approach to climate security that links environmental resilience with Asean’s political, economic and security priorities.
“The region should speak with greater coherence in mobilizing the finance, technology, and partnerships needed for a just transition. Climate resilience must increasingly become part of Asean’s regional security architecture,” Cuna said.
He stressed the need for greater access to climate finance, technology, scientific data, and long-term partnerships to strengthen institutions and communities.
“No Asean member state can address these challenges entirely on its own,” Cuna said.
Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Special Envoy Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga said the Philippines, as Asean chair, has a “unique opportunity” to push for the inclusion of climate change in the region’s security framework.
She said Asean’s stability and prosperity would depend on how its members adapt to climate risks and pursue science-based cooperation with like-minded countries.
Yulo-Loyzaga cited the Philippines’ shift toward anticipatory disaster response, including the 2025 Declaration of Imminent Disaster Law, which gives local governments earlier access to resources ahead of hydrometeorological hazards.
She also noted that the National Adaptation Plan estimated the cost of climate inaction this decade at P1.2 to P1.4 trillion.
At the regional level, Yulo-Loyzaga called for better coordination among existing Asean mechanisms covering disaster response, climate change, food security, biodiversity and maritime cooperation.
German Ambassador Andreas Michael Pfaffernoschke, meanwhile, urged Asean members to strengthen regional early-warning systems that combine climate science with conflict-sensitive analysis.
He also called for climate adaptation programs that incorporate conflict prevention and give vulnerable communities — including farmers, fishers, Indigenous peoples, women and young people — a greater role in policymaking.
Pfaffernoschke said Asean should deepen cooperation on shared resources such as transboundary waters, marine resources and food systems, while improving coordination on disaster response and climate-related displacement.
He also called for closer links between climate finance and peace-building efforts.
“A community affected by conflict and climate change should not have to choose between humanitarian assistance, peace-building, and adaptation,” Pfaffernoschke said.
Stratbase Group President Victor Andres Manhit said stronger partnerships with like-minded countries would be critical to building climate resilience.
“Our individual and collective ability to withstand these pressures will ultimately depend on how effectively we work across sectors and borders,” Manhit said.
