This policy brief synthesizes the key findings of the Climate Vulnerability Assessment on the Filipino Deaf community conducted under Project SIGND, highlighting challenges faced by the Deaf in the context of climate change including those relating to accessibility, education, health, and livelihood. The brief presents policy recommendations to address these barriers and increase the resilience of the Deaf in the Philippines.

The policy brief is the fifth in a series of five policy briefs that will be published by Project SIGND, and it was written and prepared by Angelika Lourdes Pizarro, Isabella Ann Mendoza, Keith Sigfred Ancheta, and Cecilie Therese Guiao of Parabukas, and Rommel Lo of Deaf, Inc., with the guidance of other members of Project SIGND’s Work Programme 2.

Project SIGND is made possible through the technical support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Gerry Roxas Foundation’s INSPIRE project. The contents of this report are the sole responsibility of OML Center and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.

This policy brief discusses the current state of disability representation in the climate negotiations based on observations from the 28th Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (COP28) held in 2023. The brief outlines recommendations for the improvement of accessibility and inclusion in future climate dialogues at the local and international levels.

The policy brief is the fourth in a series of five policy briefs that will be published by Project SIGND, and it was written and prepared by Isabella Ann Mendoza, Angelika Lourdes Pizarro, Keith Sigfred Ancheta, and Cecilie Therese Guiao of Parabukas, and Rommel Lo of Deaf, Inc., with the guidance of other members of Project SIGND’s Work Programme 2.

Project SIGND is made possible through the technical support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Gerry Roxas Foundation’s INSPIRE project. The contents of this report are the sole responsibility of OML Center and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.

This policy brief discusses the critical intersectionality of women, women with disabilities, and most specifically, d/Deaf women, and their rights in the context of climate change and disaster risk reduction. The brief also presents recommendations that were developed through multi-stakeholder consultations. This is the third in a series of 5 policy briefs that are being published by the Oscar M. Lopez Center for Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction and Management, under the project entitled “Climate Resilience of the Deaf: Signs for Inclusive Governance” (Project SIGND). It was written and prepared by Angelika Lourdes Pizarro, Isabella Ann Mendoza, and Cecilia Therese Guiao of Parabukas, with the guidance of other members of Project SIGND’s Work Programme 2.

Project SIGND is made possible through the technical support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Gerry Roxas Foundation’s INSPIRE project. The contents of this report are the sole responsibility of OML Center and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.

This policy brief discusses the current state-of-play of Deaf education in the Philippines, and the gaps and challenges in extending inclusivity to the Filipino Deaf community in the context of education. The report also presents recommendations that were developed through multi-stakeholder consultations. This is the second in a series of 5 policy briefs that are being published by the Oscar M. Lopez Center for Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction and Management, under the project entitled “Climate Resilience of the Deaf: Signs for Inclusive Governance” (Project SIGND). It was written and prepared by Angelika Lourdes Pizarro, Isabella Ann Mendoza, and Cecilia Therese Guiao of Parabukas, with the guidance of other members of Project SIGND’s Work Programme 2.

Project SIGND is made possible through the technical support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Gerry Roxas Foundation’s INSPIRE project. The contents of this report are the sole responsibility of OML Center and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.

This policy brief discusses the current policy landscape relating to collection of data on persons with disabilities in the Philippines, and its importance in relation to climate action and governance. It lays out the challenges existing from local to national levels, and presents recommendations that were developed through multi-stakeholder consultations. This is the first in a series of 5 policy briefs that are being published by the Oscar M. Lopez Center for Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction and Management, under the project entitled “Climate Resilience of the Deaf: Signs for Inclusive Governance” (Project SIGND). The policy brief was written and prepared by Isabella Ann Mendoza, Angelika Lourdes Pizarro, and Cecilia Therese Guiao of Parabukas, with the guidance of other members of Project SIGND’s Work Programme 2.

Project SIGND is made possible through the technical support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Gerry Roxas Foundation’s INSPIRE project. The contents of this report are the sole responsibility of OML Center and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.

This technical report presents the findings of a governance and political environment analysis on the state of Deaf-inclusion in the Philippines. It presents key insights on existing laws and policies relating to climate change, disaster risk reduction and management, persons with disabilities affairs, and laws relating to use and promotion of Filipino Sign Language, and outlines key stakeholders with relevant mandates and recommended actions towards addressing existing gaps and barriers. Finally, the report proposes a roadmap for Deaf inclusion that can be pursued towards improving Deaf-inclusion and access in the country.

This report was written and prepared by Isabella Ann Mendoza, Angelika Lourdes Pizarro, and Cecilie Therese Guiao of Parabukas, and Rommel Lo of Deaf, Inc., with the guidance of other members of Project SIGND’s Work Programme 2.

Project SIGND is made possible through the technical support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Gerry Roxas Foundation’s INSPIRE project. The contents of this report are the sole responsibility of OML Center and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.

Countries have less than one year remaining to update their National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) under the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity. One of the most effective strategies to conserve biodiversity is to protect the rights and land tenure of Indigenous Peoples (IPs) and local communities (LCs). Yet, NBSAPs frequently neglect this proven solution and fail to protect rights.

Through a comprehensive analysis of 27 NBSAPs, this Forest Declaration Assessment Special Report assesses the extent to which IPs’ and LCs’ rights have been integrated into past NBSAP development and implementation and provides initial insights into how they are being considered in the coming NBSAP updates. The report concludes with recommendations for policymakers, donor and partner organizations, and IP and LC groups to ensure IPs and LCs are better included in NBSAPs going forward.

This report was developed with the support of Mikaela Bernardino, Patricia Nicdao, Angelika Pizaro, and Justine Nicole Torres of Parabukas.

This policy brief summarizes salient features of the Philippines' solid waste management framework, in preparation for the implementation of the EPR Act of 2022. Additionally, it analyzes the new law's provisions, with proposed options for various types of packaging waste. The report was developed by GIZ under their Rethinking Plastics project, and was prepared by PB Fellow Atty. Gregorio Rafael Bueta. Writing and logistical support were provided by the PB Team through Nicole Torres and Salin Baliton.

This guidance document was developed by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), in close collaboration with the Coordinating Body on the Seas of East Asia (COBSEA) Secretariat. Preparation of the report was led by PB Fellow Atty. Gregorio Rafael P. Bueta and was finalized in December 2021, with PB Programs Director Nicole Torres as writing, editing, and expert support, along with research assistance from PB Fellow Chester Tan and PB Interns Jego Agabin, Linelle Mercado, Lance Asido, Bea Vida, and Abbie Golosino.

The Philippines’ 6th National Report (6NR) to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was submitted to the CBD Executive Secretary in 2018. Parabukas contributed to this new layout of the report, with support from Forest Foundation Philippines.