The Climate Change Commission (CCC) and the Office of Senator Loren Legarda on Thursday formalized a new partnership with the Asian Institute of Management (AIM), offering 26 full scholarships for Filipino leaders under the Sustainable Leadership Learning for Climate and Disaster Risk Reduction (SLL-CDRR) program.

Held at AIM’s Team Energy Bridging Leadership Hall in Makati City, the ceremonial signing of the memorandum of agreement (MOA) marked the second year of the scholarship initiative, which includes slots for the Executive Master in Disaster Risk and Crisis Management (EMDRCM) and the Master of Science in Data Science (MSDS).

Legarda, a longtime climate advocate and principal author of the Climate Change Act of 2009, underscored the importance of empowering future leaders with the skills and knowledge to address the worsening impacts of climate change.

“This agreement is not just about education. It is our collective promise to turn vulnerability into strength, and data into policy action,” Legarda said in her keynote address.

“We are building a community of champions who will lead us toward a more resilient and adaptive future,” she added.

Of the 26 scholarships, 21 slots will be allotted for the EMDRCM program and five for MSDS, an expansion from last year’s inaugural batch of 18 EMDRCM scholars.

These programs aim to produce crisis leaders and data analysts equipped to make evidence-based decisions in disaster risk governance.

The signing was led by Legarda, CCC Vice Chairperson and Executive Director Robert E.A. Borje, and AIM President and Dean Dr. Jikyeong Kang.

Also present were AIM professors Olivier Roche and Christopher Monterola, who introduced the academic components of the program.

Borje said the agreement underscores the CCC’s commitment to creating “a cadre of professionals ready to transform the country’s climate and disaster response through leadership and science.”

The inclusion of data science, Legarda said, aligns with her broader legislative agenda to foster climate literacy and sustainable development at all levels of government and society.

“The laws I authored laid the foundation. This program is the action,” she said.

Applications for the 2025 SLL-CDRR scholarships will prioritize women, local government unit disaster risk officers, and professionals from underserved areas.

Scholars are expected to complete their degrees by December 2025.

The event also highlighted the importance of cross-sectoral collaboration in climate action, with stakeholders from government, academia, and civil society in attendance. (PNA)