Oscar M. Lopez Center

15/05/2026

Seaweed, Sea Win 🌊🌿

Can we save the sea with seaweed? It might already be one of our strongest climate allies. The Philippines is among the world’s top seaweed producers, showing how this simple marine crop powers both livelihoods and solutions.

From food, beauty, and medicine to climate action, seaweed absorbs carbon, helps cut methane emissions, and supports more sustainable food systems. It also protects coastlines, boosts biodiversity, and shelters marine life.

But climate change is catching up, warmer waters and stronger storms threaten its growth. Still, with its fast growth rate of about 60cm a day, seaweed remains a natural solution we need to protect and scale.

Learn more and take action for our seas and climate solutions. Access ' : Step Up and Step In to Act on Climate' for FREE: www.omlopezcenter.org/our-work/klimaalam

14/05/2026

[𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐏𝐔𝐁𝐋𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍] 𝐑𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐯𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐩𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐲, 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 – 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞-𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐲 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟

A new science-policy brief (SPB) released by the Oscar M. Lopez Center revealed that rainfall variability is contributing to poverty and food insecurity in the Philippines, particularly among agricultural households heavily dependent on climate-sensitive livelihoods.

Titled “Do Rainfall Shocks Affect Poverty? Evidence from Philippine Household and Climate Data,” the SPB found that both below-average and above-average rainfall influence poverty and food poverty outcomes.

Using the 2018 to 2023 data from the Philippine Statistics Authority’s Family Income and Expenditure Survey and rainfall records from the Department of Science and Technology–Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (DOST-PAGASA), the SPB examined more than 82,000 household observations across 20 provinces. Data from 2021 were excluded due to the potential influence of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The findings show that periods of below-average rainfall may increase poverty incidence by approximately 3.9 to 6 percentage points (pp), with agricultural households experiencing an even greater increase of nearly 10 pp. Food poverty may also rise by around 2.2 pp during dry periods, especially among farming households.

Conversely, above-average rainfall was associated with lower poverty and food poverty rates, declining by 3.6 to 4.4 pp and 1.6 to 2.3 pp, respectively. These findings suggest that moderate increase in rainfall may support agricultural productivity in rainfed farming systems.

A percentage point refers to the difference between two percentage values.

Read full story: https://bit.ly/491OI7T

Access the new science-policy brief here: https://bit.ly/OMLC-SPB3

Previous science-policy briefs can also be accessed through the OML Center’s website: https://bit.ly/OMLC-SPBs

12/05/2026

𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐍𝐎𝐖: 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬: 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬

Oscar M. Lopez Center Executive Director Dr. Rodel Lasco discussing the current state of the Philippine climate, climate change impacts, and potential adaptation and mitigation solutions at the Climate in the Philippines: Impacts and Solutions webinar organized by Mindanao State University - Iligan Institute of Technology.

10/05/2026

MOTHERED SO HARD! 💗

Today is for mothers who nurture life in every form, from families at home to the communities and environments that sustain us all.

Like nature itself, mothers embody care, resilience, and the quiet strength that helps future generations thrive in a changing world.

Through science, awareness, and collective action, we continue building a climate-resilient future worthy of their love and sacrifices.

Learn, reflect, and take action for a more climate-resilient future: www.omlopezcenter.org

09/05/2026

[𝐍𝐎𝐖 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐆] How come sea levels are rising faster in some places than others?

In the latest episode of BBC World Service's CrowdScience, OML Center Executive Director Dr. Rodel D. Lasco and UP Marine Science Institute Deputy Director Dr. Charina Lyn Repollo share insights on the science behind , its impacts on vulnerable coastal communities, and the importance of global climate action and local adaptation.

Hosted by Anand Jagatia, the episode takes listeners from El Nido to Manila to better understand how rising seas are already affecting lives and livelihoods across the country, and why sea levels in the Philippines are rising at nearly three times the global average.

🔗 Spotify: https://bit.ly/3R2tjoQ
🔗 BBC CrowdScience: https://www.bbc.com/audio/play/w3ct8k6v

CrowdScience · Episode

08/05/2026

[𝐀𝐃𝐕𝐈𝐒𝐎𝐑𝐘] The OML Center’s website is now back online following a temporary downtime. Catch up on our latest updates, resources, and announcements by visiting https://www.omlopezcenter.org 🌱💛

08/05/2026

[𝐀𝐃𝐕𝐈𝐒𝐎𝐑𝐘] The OML Center's website is currently experiencing downtime due to technical issues. Our team is working to restore full access as soon as possible. We will post an announcement once the website is back up.

Thank you for your patience!

08/05/2026

[𝐍𝐄𝐖𝐒] 𝐎𝐌𝐋 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐏𝐃𝐘𝐂 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔, 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐧 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

The Oscar M. Lopez (OML) Center participated in the Philippine Development Youth Congress (PDYC) 2026 at the Ateneo de Manila University, and highlighting the important role of young people in advancing climate action and strengthening resilience efforts in the country.

In her presentation, Communications Specialist Mae Mangubos discussed the current state of the Philippine climate, and the need to strengthen community resilience through evidence-and risk-based solutions.

Mangubos also underscored the vital role of young people in driving climate action, both in influencing policy directions and championing initiatives at the community level. She encouraged participants to actively engage in developing solutions that respond to the specific risks and challenges experienced by their communities.

PDYC is the flagship project of the Development Society of the Ateneo. It seeks to strengthen the capacities of young people through a series of talks and workshops that equip them with development-related skills, while providing a platform for meaningful engagement in their communities.

Held last March 21, PDYC 2026 gathered 39 youth leaders from across the country under the theme “ALAB: Igniting the Fire within Tomorrow’s Trailblazers.” The event served as a space for collaboration and dialogue among young leaders as they explored ways to address pressing development challenges, including the climate crisis.

Read full story: https://bit.ly/OMLCatPDYC2026

07/05/2026

Sea What We Can Save 🌊

The ocean is life for Filipinos. Millions depend on it for food, jobs, and income. Healthy seas mean strong, resilient communities.

Our waters hold rich marine life that feeds families and supports livelihoods, but climate change, pollution, and overfishing put this at risk.

Protecting corals, fish, and mangroves protects our food and future.

Learn more and take action. Access ' : Step Up and Step In to Act on Climate' for FREE: www.omlopezcenter.org/our-work/klimaalam

06/05/2026

[𝐍𝐄𝐖𝐒] 𝐎𝐌𝐋 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝, 𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞-𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐭 𝐏𝐅𝐘𝐒 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔

The Oscar M. Lopez Center Executive Director Dr. Rodel D. Lasco underscored the importance of building climate-resilient forest landscapes in the Philippines during his presentation at the Philippine Forestry Youth Summit (PFYS) 2026 in University of the Philippines Los Baños.

In his presentation, Dr. Lasco stressed that forests are the backbone of resilience, providing crucial ecosystem services vital to climate change adaptation and mitigation. Forests act as carbon sinks, protect biodiversity and watersheds, and support livelihoods.

However, he also noted that Philippine forests are under increasing pressure from climate change. Drawing from the 2024 Philippine Climate Change Assessment (PhilCCA) Report, Dr. Lasco recounted how climate change impacts threaten the long-term health and sustainability of forest ecosystems in the country.

Dr. Lasco shared key actions to strengthen forest resilience outlined in the Working Group 2 Report on Impacts, Vulnerability, and Adaptation.

He emphasized the need to conduct vulnerability assessments, strengthen long-term ecosystem monitoring, and invest in research to guide climate-responsive forest management.

He also stressed the importance of science-based planning and the role of nature-based solutions, which can support multiple forest adaptation goals and enhance climate resilience of forest landscapes.

The OML Center also participated as an exhibitor at the PFYS 2026, featuring the Climate, Disaster and Development Journal (CDDJ). Summit participants were encouraged to submit research papers to the journal, particularly on topics such as climate science, vulnerability and risk, climate change adaptation, disaster management, resilience, and climate policy and development.

More information about the CCDJ: https://www.cddjournal.org/home.

Read full story: https://bit.ly/OMLCatPFYS2026

04/05/2026

[𝐍𝐄𝐖𝐒] 𝐃𝐫. 𝐑𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐥 𝐋𝐚𝐬𝐜𝐨 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐈 𝐢𝐧 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐭 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐃𝐚𝐲

Oscar M. Lopez Center Executive Director Dr. Rodel D. Lasco took the stage at the 2026 National Innovation Day to present “Laban sa Agos: A Paradox of AI and Climate Change,” highlighting both the opportunities and risks of artificial intelligence (AI) in addressing the climate crisis.

Citing insights from the World Economic Forum, he underscored the urgency of climate threats, noting that extreme weather events remain the top global risk, with environmental issues dominating the rankings, while AI is also emerging as a major concern.

Dr. Lasco shared that AI is increasingly being used to support both climate change adaptation and mitigation across regions and countries.

For adaptation, AI applications include climate modeling and planning, early warning systems, urban resilience planning, and Earth observation. AI is also being used to optimize food systems, improve water management, and support biodiversity, marine, and coastal ecosystem protection, as well as land use and land use change prediction.

He also highlighted recent advances, including AI-enabled weather forecasting that can provide “almost perfect” heatwave predictions, flood forecasting, and early warning systems for climate-sensitive diseases.

On mitigation, Dr. Lasco noted that AI enhances greenhouse gas monitoring, improve land use tracking, and support energy and transport systems, while also supporting carbon markets and verification processes.

However, Dr. Lasco cautioned that AI accounts for around 2.5 to 3.7 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. He further emphasized the growing environmental footprint of data centers that power AI systems.

According to Dr. Lasco, “data centers consume large amounts of electricity and water, making them increasingly significant contributors to greenhouse gas emissions.”

Dr. Lasco also pointed to issues such as the digital divide, limited data availability and access, data security concerns, and the high resource requirements of AI systems. He warned that some applications may even increase climate risks if not properly managed.

To close, Dr. Lasco noted that there is a crucial need to balance innovation with responsible and inclusive climate action, ensuring that AI is used ethically and remains aligned with sustainability goals.

Read full story: https://bit.ly/AIinClimateAction