Nacionalista president and standard bearer for the May 2010 polls Sen. Manny Villar said climate change and its effects should prompt the government to focus its attention on the negative impact on food production and agriculture, in general.

“When we talk of climate change, it is immediately linked to the environment. It creates a chain reaction and there are areas that get adversely affected. These include people’s health, the agriculture sector, which in turn affects the supply of food. It is crucial to focus on these and act accordingly,” said Villar, who shared his concern about climate change with his running mate, Sen. Loren Legarda.

To address this, Villar has filed numerous bills and resolutions to tackle the effects of climate change on people’s lives as well as on industries or sectors.

Among these is the recently filed Senate Resolution 1520 that calls for the institutionalization of crop forecasting, agro-meteorology and similar modern agricultural tools to assist the agriculture sector, ensure food production and to enable the farmers to mitigate the impact of climate change.

Villar added that the next administration should really zero in on health and environmental issues particularly those related to climate change. Compared to their political rivals, Villar and his running mate Legarda are more prepared in environment-related campaigns and activities. Among the key platforms of their tandem is the mitigation of the risks of climate change and other environmental challenges.

Villar cited on Senate Bill 1520 that the Philippines is a signatory to the United Nations Framework on Climate Change Convention, aiming to formulate policies and implement realistic programs to contribute in the effort to reduce and stabilize the effects of climate change while ensuring that food production is not threatened and to enable economic development to proceed in a sustainable manner.