President Arroyo Friday scrapped her scheduled visits to Negros Occidental and Camarines Sur due to heavy rains brought by storm “Labuyo” and instead spent her day promoting environmental protection in Taguig City.

This even as the weather bureau Friday also lowered all public warning storm signals earlier hoisted over Cagayan and Isabela provinces even though Labuyo further intensified its strength as it sped up northeast towards Japan.

Mrs. Arroyo was originally scheduled to inaugurate a bio-ethanol plant in San Carlos City in Negros Occidental.

Afterwards, she was to attend the groundbreaking of the Libmanan-Canaman sky bridges project in Libmanan, Camarines Sur.

“The President has cancelled her travel schedule today because of bad weather but one activity she decided to keep is her weekly briefing by the Task Force on Climate Change held in Taguig City,” Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said in a news conference at the Palace.

Remonde said the President dedicates every Friday morning of her work schedule to climate change, one of the top issues in her environmental agenda.

“In fact, we have taken to calling Fridays her ‘climate change and green days’,” he said.

The President listened to the briefing of the local leaders of Taguig on efforts to reduce climate change, including recycling activities, at the Taguig city hall.

Remonde said Presidential Adviser on Climate Change Heherson Alvarez reported that the Philippines has reached a growing consensus among Asian nations to push for an 80 percent cut in carbon emissions.

He said Alvarez has been authorized to commit the Philippines to cut carbon emissions up to 80 percent, well in excess of Kyoto Protocol standards, when he attends an environmental summit in Copenhagen this December.

“The President continues to believe that the choice between economic development and environmental protection is a false choice. Both objectives are essential and can be pursued together with the appropriate technology and public policies,” he said.

“All that is needed from us is the political will and determination to unite behind this urgent global agenda,” he added.

Meanwhile, in an update released at 10 a.m. yesterday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration said Labuyo was at the Philippine Sea about 660 kilometers east of Tuguegarao City while maintaining 75 kph winds near its center and a gustiness of up to 90 kph.

PAGASA said the typhoon changed direction early Friday morning as it speeds up northeast towards Japan.

The weather bureau said Tarlac, Zambales, Bataan, Bulacan, Pampanga, Cavite, Batangas, Laguna, Rizal and Metro Manila will have cloudy skies with widespread rains and thunderstorms PAGASA also warned residents in low-lying areas and near mountain slopes in the western section of Southern Luzon like Batangas, Laguna, and Cavite as well as Visayas like Capiz, Antique, Iloilo, Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental of possible flashfloods and landslides.