When then Lopez Group chairman emeritus Oscar M. Lopez (OML) received his doctor of laws, honoris causa, from the University of the Philippines Diliman in 2012, he addressed the graduating class and talked about the changing climate, referring to it as the “new normal.” He described the climate problem as a “Gordian knot.”

Despite this complex and seemingly unsolvable problem, OML offered the graduates a number of solutions, one of which was establishing a center for collaborative research that would “save lives and take our people out of harm’s way.”

Ten years later, the OML Center for Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Foundation Inc. continues to work on loosening the climate Gordian knot by harnessing climate science and actionable knowledge to help build resilient Philippine communities. While the task is indeed great, collaborations with like-minded partners have helped us in putting OML’s vision into motion.

As part of its 10th anniversary celebration, OML Center will be holding activities to push knowledge to action, including workshops on risk-based climate planning tools with local government unit actors and local planners, a multi-sectoral dialogue to discuss the state of the Philippine climate and sectoral experiences on adaptation, and the 2nd Climate Resilience Challenge, which seeks innovative ideas and solutions that can address the impacts of climate change on coastal communities, among others.

Visit www.omlopezcenter.org for more information on upcoming events.