Marcos urges developed countries to contribute to Loss and Damage Fund

Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim (left) and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. attend the signing ceremony of the Kuala Lumpur Declaration on Asean 2045: Our Shared Future at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Monday, May 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday renewed his call for developed countries to contribute to the Loss and Damage Fund—this time, with wealthy Arab leaders as his audience.

In his intervention at the 2nd Association of Southeast Asian Nations – Gulf Cooperation Council (Asean-GCC) Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Marcos emphasized the need for vulnerable nations to have unhindered access to the fund amid growing climate risks.

“As host of the Fund Corresponding to Loss and Damage, or FRLD, the Philippines would like to encourage contributions through that fund,” he said.

The GCC is composed of wealthy Arab countries: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

In his seven-minute speech, Marcos described climate change as the most defining challenge of the present time, noting that Asean and Middle Eastern nations are among the most climate-vulnerable.

“Our populations face significant climate-related risks, such as sea level rise, rising temperatures, desertification, and loss of biodiversity, amongst others,” he said.

He also said the Philippines’ hosting of the Loss and Damage Board would “accelerate the unhindered access of developing nations to climate finance.”

This will support the development and implementation of transformative, science-based strategies for climate change adaptation, mitigation, and disaster risk management—ultimately ensuring sustainable and inclusive growth for all.

At the plenary session on Monday, Marcos assured Asean that the Philippines would “continue to advocate for scientific and evidence-based, investment-led, and transformative solutions to the climate crisis.”

“In this regard, we urge Asean’s partners to scale up predictable and accessible, and adequate climate finance to enable Asean to realize its climate ambitions and safeguard the future of our communities,” he added./mcm