by Rene V. Carbayas
ISABELA CITY, Basilan – “Nagbabago na ang Panahon, Panahon na para magbago” is the new branding campaign that the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) is adopting for Climate Change Advocacy in partnership with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
This is a sneak peek of the coming national launching of the new branding campaign that the DENR will make public soon.
Regional Director Noemi Edaga of the Philippine Information Agency (PIA)-IX told the members of the Regional Development Council (RDC)-IX during its 147th meeting held here recently that a partnership was forged between DENR-IX and PIA-IX through a Memorandum of Agreement to harmonize all efforts to increase people’s understanding on Climate Change and the urgency to act on the issue.
“A lot of us are involved in climate change advocacy, but we do them on our own and, therefore, have lesser impact,” Edaga observed.
She said that “Climate Change is here, we cannot do anything about it but to adapt because this is the ‘new normal’. Adaptation is the primary stance and mitigation is the tactical support of this new thematic advocacy brand.
Edaga admitted that it was a challenge for PIA to come up with a localized and Filipino translation of Climate Change.
“If only it was easy to share like, ‘The Legal Wife’ where everybody could easily relate to and get affected by it. But when one mentions Climate Change, everyone has a different image and response to the issue,” she noted.
In this campaign, the objective was to provide thematic advocacy brand for all environmental programs and activities that must be used by all government agencies, the private sectors, the LGUs, and the youth, among others, hoping to create greater impact on the Filipino.
Edaga urged the public and private entities to use the brand in all efforts related to environmental programs and activities in order to popularize the new branding campaign.
“The objective was to weaken public’s apathy towards Climate Change and other environmental agenda,” she said.
She cited the crucial role of the youth in the campaign through the support of the Department of Education (DepED) and the National Youth Commission (NYC) in changing the mindset of the people and the generation to come.
“It’s not just about protecting environment. It’s about protecting ourselves by protecting our environment. It is time to care. It is time to do our share,” she stressed.
The government will also maximize the social media in popularizing the campaign with the new facebook page ‘LaKAsLIKASAN’ where DENR Secretary Paje and PCOO Secretary Sonny Coloma Jr. will be fully involved.
The DENR central office is yet to announce the date for the media launch program of the new thematic advocacy brand.