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WHAT IS PSF
The People’s Survival Fund (PSF) is a special fund in the National Treasury
for the financing of adaptation programs and projects based on the National
Strategic Framework.1 The law provides an annual budget of at least one billion
pesos (Php 1,000,000,000.00) for the purpose of funding the proposed prevention
and mitigation projects of the local government units (LGUs) and accredited civil
society organizations. As part of the guidelines in the accessed of funds, the LGU
must submit a letter of intent, project proposal with the attached any of the
following Local Climate Change Action Plan, Enhanced Climate Change
Adaptation (CCA) and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Comprehensive Land Use
Plans (CLUPs) or Comprehensive Development Plans (CDPs), Risk and
Vulnerability Assessment, Climate and Disaster Risk Assessment, and Climate
Change Studies.2
PROBLEM
According to the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities,4 during the 7th
PSF Board meeting, of the 52 proposals, 46 were returned, only 2 were approved
and 4 were still at the pipeline. This only shows that LGUs experience difficulties
in accomplishing all the requirements and guidelines promulgated by the PSF
board. And even if the requirements are completed it has to undergo 3 stages
before approval of the board. As indicated in the PSF Checklist, the LGU has the
Issue Memo – PSF LAW, Page 1
burden of proof to show that their proposal will mitigate or adapt to the effects of
climate change. As such they must cite disaster or climate researches or studies
related to their proposal. Failure to do so will result in the return of their proposal
for content refinements or identification of new projects. To aggravate the
problem, majority of the LGUs do not know what PSF is or even if they were aware,
the requirements and its process prevent them from the access of the funds.
ISSUE
Since the LGU has to establish that there proposal will in effect adapt or
mitigate the effect of climate change being the purpose of the PSF Law, the main
issue is:
WHETHER OR NOT PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE SHOULD APPLY IN THE
GRANT OF PEOPLE’S SURVIVAL FUND TO THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNIT.
RECOMMENDATION
The Precautionary Principle states that where there warnings of serious or
irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used as a reason for
postponing cost-effective measures to prevent environmental degradation. 5
The PSF Technical Evaluation Committee must relax its rules and adopt the
precautionary principle to determine whether or not the proposed project has meet
the criteria which is adaptation and mitigation to climate change effects. The
constitutional right of the People to a balanced and healthful ecology shall be given
the benefit of the doubt.6
RA 10174 provides that the State adopts the principle of protecting the
climate system for the benefit of humankind, on the basis of climate justice or
common but differentiated responsibilities and the Precautionary Principle to
guide decision-making in climate risk management7 (emphasis supplied).
Climate risk management is always incorporated by the LGUs in the formulations
of their Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plan or Climate Change
Adaptation Plan. Since the PSF Law adheres to the Precautionary Principle, it
should follow that the mere inclusion of the projects to the abovementioned LGU
plans is sufficient to warrant the release of PSF to the LGUs. By requiring the
proposals of the LGU to undergo screening or review of the PSF Secretariat, to PSF
Technical Evaluation Committee, to Climate Change Commission, then approval
by the PSF Board will cause delay or discouragement of the LGU in availing of such
funds considering that since its enactment to law in 2012, only a handful of LGUs
have passed the strict guidelines of the PSF Board.
The Philippines being a party to the Paris Agreement must make climate
finance flows consistent with a pathway towards low greenhouse gas emissions and
FOOTNOTES