Annie Perez-Gallardo, a faculty member of the University of the Philippines Cebu College of Communication, Art, and Design, has been chosen to attend the 29th Conference of the Parties (COP 29) under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The conference will take place in Baku, Azerbaijan, from November 12-24, 2024.
Perez-Gallardo, also a regional correspondent for ABS-CBN News, was selected by Germany’s DW Akademie and the Philippine Network of Environmental Journalists (PNEJ) to join other journalists from Indonesia and Timor-Leste. She expressed her gratitude for the opportunity, saying, “I see this as an opportunity to learn in-depth climate reporting especially on policies that need to be implemented.”
Her report highlighted the disability-inclusive disaster risk reduction program on Caubian Island, Lapu-Lapu City, a community already grappling with the effects of rising sea levels. Perez-Gallardo emphasized the vulnerability of fisherfolk with disabilities in the area, underscoring the impact of climate change on marginalized communities.