Nat’l climate change commission appoints COE dean as panel expert

October 14, 2021

By Daniel P. Tapaoan, Jr. 

The Philippine Climate Change Commission (CCC) has recently appointed Dr. Nathaniel R. Alibuyog, dean of the MMSU College of Engineering (COE), as a member of its National Panel of Technical Experts (NPTE). 

Dr. Alibuyog will help the government to implement climate change mitigation programs by working closely with local communities and managing the sustainable use of land and water resources, which is his expertise.

He hopes to help the CCC to push forward science-based technologies, innovations, and policies to ensure sustainable water resources, improve water provenance, and increase agricultural productivity.  

He is among the 16 NPTE members coming from the different regions who were presented by the CCC and the Department of Finance in an online press conference held on October 13.

Other national panel members are Dr. Ramon Lorenzo Luis R. Guinto, Dr. Patricia Ann J. Sanchez, and Dr. Doracie B. Zoleta-Nantes of CALABARZON; Dr. Susan P. Mercado and Dr. Emma E. Porio of National Capital Region; Dr. Jimmy T. Magasca of Bicol Region; Dr. Zenaida Andrade and Dr. Eduardo O. Mangaoang of Eastern Visayas; Dr. Wilfredo L. Campos, Dr. Gay D. Defiesta, and Dr. Encarnacion Emilia S. Yap of Western Visayas; Dr. Jihan Adil from Zamboanga Peninsula; Dr. Richard N. Muallil of Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao; Engr. Meriam M. Santilla of CARAGA Administrative Region; and Dr. Maria Angela G. Zafra of Davao Region. 

These experts in various disciplines related to climate change and disaster risk reduction were selected out of the 130 candidates for the membership. They will provide technical advice to the Commission in climate science and its cross-cutting sectoral themes, green technologies, best practices for risk assessment, and adaptive capacity of vulnerable communities to potential impacts of climate change. 

The CCC opened the nominations last July 7 to broaden the country’s pool of experts to fight climate change and to ensure institutional, regional, sectoral, and gender representation in the NPTE membership. (StratCom)