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Climate change is a long-term shift in the average weather patterns caused by the large-scale release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

Goal:
Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.

Targets:
✧ Strengthen resilience to climate-related hazards.
✧ Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning.
✧ Improve education on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction, and early warning.
✧ Implement the commitment to mitigation actions and implementation transparency.
✧ Promote mechanisms for raising capacity for effective climate change-related planning and management in the least developed countries.

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Map of the Philippines with Negros Occidental in red (Source: philatlas.com/visayas/r06/negros-occidental.html)

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✧ Originally named "Buglas" meaning "cut off", the Spanish colonizers changed it to Negros because of the dark-skinned native Negritos that inhabited the island.

✧ Currently, it has 19 municipalities, 12 cities, and 601 barangays, with Bacolod City as its proclaimed capital since the year 1849.

✧ Negros Occidental officially became a province under Region IV or Western Visayas on March 10, 1917.

✧ It has a total land area of 7,844.12 square kilometers or 3,028.63 square miles.

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✧ Known as "The Philippines' sugar capital" due to its major role in sugarcane production and "The City of Smiles" because of the cheerful people, Bacolod City is a highly urbanized area situated northwest of the province.

✧ Residents of the city are called "Bacoleños" or "Bacolodnons"

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Natural disasters caused by climate change and El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) continuously make the province's sugarcane production targets.

When El Niño struck Negros Occidental in 2016, it resulted in 99.51 million worth of damaged sugarcane crops. 7,861 farmers and 7,372 hectares of sugarcane plantation were affected by the dry spells.

On the other hand, the sugar content in canes has decreased due to the heavy rainfalls and flooding during the La Niña season. This led to a shortfall in sugarcane production and export allocation to the United States of America.

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✧ Negros Occidental is occupied by 334 inhabitants, also called Negrenses, per square kilometer, making it the 4th most populated province in the country.

✧ The 2015 Census shows that a total of 331,052 individuals are within the 5 to 9 age bracket, which makes it the age group with the highest population count during that year alone.

✧ In summary, 31.77% (972,009) are aged 14 and below or under the young dependents category, 62.60% (1,915,164) are aged 15 to 64 or considered as economically active, and 5.62% (171,963) are those that fall under 65 and over or the old dependents category.

✧ The people are mostly Malay-descent. Some of the minorities that dominate the local sugar industry are Chinese and European-descent families.

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✧ For the fiscal year of 2016, the annual regular revenue of the province was approximately ₱2,906,801,917.

✧ Negros Occidental is considered one of the wealthiest and most politically influential regions in the country because it produces more than half of the country's sugar.

✧ There are more than 15 sugar centrals scattered throughout the province. Hence, they serve an important purpose in sugar exportation.

✧ Bananas, coconuts, corn, mangoes, papayas, and rice are among the secondary crops that are locally produced as well.

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✧ The language used by the majority of locals is Hiligaynon or Ilonggo. Meanwhile, those that live in areas bordering Negros Oriental speak Cebuano.

✧ The province has 4 festivals being celebrated annually: MassKara Festival (Bacolod City), Pasalamat Festival (La Carlota City), Bailes de Luces (La Castallena), and Pintaflores Festival (San Carlos City).

✧ The predominant religion is Roman Catholicism.

✧ Cockfighting or "sabong" is highly enjoyed by the public as a gambling pastime.

✧ Chicken Inasal, the popular Filipino dish, originated in the province.

✧ Generally, the people embody Filipino values like hospitality, family-orientedness, and diligence.

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University of St. La Salle students and resource persons calling for climate protection (Source: https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1081447)

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Being the largest domestic sugarcane producer, the industry is able to provide a livelihood for farmers that supports their families. The industry alone contributes no less than ₱70 billion to the country's economy annually wherein, Negros Occidental supplies half. Hence, threats from climate change will severely impact the agricultural sector as well as the economy of the country if we fail to anticipate the problems and manage their effects on the environment.

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Some Technological Advancements To Address The Issue

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Some Technological Advancements To Address The Issue

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✧ AquaCrop models - Assesses the impact of Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and climate change on sugarcane growth and productivity. Not only is it cost-effective and science-based, but it also has the potential to help farmers, policymakers, and researchers to adapt to the changing weather and increasing carbon dioxide emissions.

✧ Hole system - A proposed alternative from the usual row planting system, wherein 40-centimeter deep holes are planted with 4 sugarcane crops each that can produce 100 tonnes of sugarcane per hectare. Its goal is for the farmers to produce more using fewer resources while maintaining plant nutrition.

✧ Biological control - An organic technology that controls the pest population brought by climate change and stops them from taking advantage of the environment's natural predation, parasitism, pathogenicity, and competition phenomena.

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Goal:
Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.

Targets:
✧ Achieve equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all.
✧ End open defecation and provide access to sanitation and hygiene.
✧ Improve water quality, wastewater treatment, and safe reuse.
✧ Increase water use efficiency and ensure freshwater supplies.
✧ Implement integrated water resources management.
✧ Protect and restore water-related ecosystems.
✧ Expand water and sanitation support to developing countries.
✧ Support local engagement in water and sanitation management.

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The Negros Occidental provincial government revealed that 25% of Negrenses have no access to an adequate water supply, and 18% have limited access to sanitation services.

In 2018, only 37.2% of households have a Level 3 water supply, indicating that most households in the province do not have an extensive distribution network of piped water.

The 17 operational water districts have reported 26.81% of losses from leaks and pilferage, also called non-revenue water (NRW).

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Water security and sanitation are basic necessities for each individual. Scarcity in the supply of water may result in a myriad of serious consequences to health and livelihood, especially to small far-flung communities. With no access, people are forced to settle on water sources that are not sanitized and safe.

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Some Technological Advancements To Address The Issue

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Some Technological Advancements To Address The Issue

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✧  Aqua Cube - A portable, compact, all-in-one package with treatment, generator, water talk, simple operation, and maintenance that can produce drinking water for 600 individuals in a span of 1 hour. This was developed by Murakami Manufacturing Co. Ltd., and it has the capacity to purify raw water from irrigation channels, rivers, and creeks.

✧ Solar-Powered Water Pumping System  - An agro-technology innovation for small irrigation and household use. It provides rural communities an abundant water supply without the need to travel kilometers away for riverbanks.

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Negros Occidental has a tropical climate.

The province has a wide variety of tourist destination spots:

✧ Balay Negrense Museum
✧ Bantug Lake Ranch
✧ Campuestohan Highland Resort
✧ Capitol Park and Lagoon
✧ Laguerta Home of the Vintage Glasses Museum
✧ Lakawon Island
✧ Mag-aso Falls
✧ Mambukal Mountain Resort
✧ Mount Kanlaon’s Seven Falls
✧ Negros Forests and Ecological Foundation Biodiversity Conservation Center
✧ Panaad Stadium
✧ Pope John Paul II Tower
✧ Sagay Marine Reserve (Carbin Reef)
✧ San Sebastian Cathedral
✧ The Ruins
✧ WWII Memorial Wall

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✧ About Negros Occidental Province, Philippines. (n.d.). Retrieved March 1, 2022, from https://www.islandsproperties.com/places/negrosocc.htm#:~:text=The%20first%20capital%20of%20the,province%20of%20Negros%20del%20Norte.
✧ Climate change mitigation thru organic farming in Negros Occidental pushed. Department of Agrarian Reform RSS. (2020, November 8). Retrieved March 1, 2022, from https://www.dar.gov.ph/articles/dar-in-the-news/102052
✧ Domingo, L. C. (2021, July 8). Negros Occidental University brings technology to rural farmers. The Manila Times. Retrieved March 1, 2022, from https://www.manilatimes.net/2021/07/08/campus-press/negros-occidental-university-brings-technology-to-rural-farmers/1806158
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✧ Guadalquiver, N. (2021, June 8). NEGOCC launches bid to Secure Water Resources. Philippine News Agency. Retrieved March 1, 2022, from https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1143041
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✧ Negros occidental. PhilAtlas. (n.d.). Retrieved March 1, 2022, from https://www.philatlas.com/visayas/r06/negros-occidental.html
✧ Patrick, Patrick, W. by, & Patrick. (2021, November 17). Get to know the negros Occidental Province in the Philippines. Discover The Philippines. Retrieved March 1, 2022, from https://www.discoverthephilippines.com/negros-occidental-province-philippines/
✧ Tongson, E. (2019). Simulating Impacts of ENSO and Climate Change on Sugarcane Production in Negros Occidental Province, Philippines. Climate, Disaster and Development Journal, 4(1), 11–29. https://doi.org/10.18783/cddj.v004.i01.a02
✧ United Nations. (n.d.). #ENVISION2030 Goal 13: Climate action enable. United Nations. Retrieved March 1, 2022, from https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/envision2030-goal13.html
✧ What lies ahead for our sugarcane farmers and workers under climate change? OML Center Footer Icon. (2019, December 6). Retrieved March 1, 2022, from https://www.omlopezcenter.org/cddj-vol04-iss1-2-enso-cc-impacts-sugarcane-negros-occidental/
✧ Yan, G. (2016, December 17). Negros sugarcane industry: A bittersweet christmas symphony. RAPPLER. Retrieved March 1, 2022, from https://www.rappler.com/voices/imho/155823-negros-sugarcane-industry-bittersweet-christmas-symphony/