30/07/2026
Negotiations from the Frontlines: Perspectives of Filipino Negotiators in Global Climate Governance
The Institute of International Legal Studies, through its International Environmental Law Research Program, recently launched the publication entitled “Negotiations from the Frontlines: Perspectives of Filipino Negotiators in Global Climate Governance.”
The book launch was held last 10 July 2026 at the 2nd Floor Conference Room, Bocobo Hall, UP Law Center, Diliman, Quezon City. The event was hosted by Atty. Jurella Guiahara D. Santos, Law Reform Specialist of the Institute of International Legal Studies. The event was opened by Associate Dean Paolo Tamase of the UP College of Law. He welcomed the publication of the book for the Philippines, emphasizing that the country is disproportionately impacted by climate change. Seasoned Filipino climate negotiators, including some authors and editors of the book, spoke on their experiences and learnings throughout the program.
Atty. Analiza Rebuelta-Teh, Undersecretary for Finance, Information Systems, and Climate Change of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), praised the book for providing a critical institutional memory of the Philippines' three decade journey within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). She highlighted the need for the government to align international commitments with domestic action, build alliances and coalitions, bridge the gap between climate science and policymaking, and promote inclusive governance to promote innovative approaches to climate negotiations.
Mr. Jerome Ilagan, Chief of the Policy Research and Development Division (PRDD), Climate Change Commission, stated that the book is a “memory of the heart,” documenting the Philippines’ role and contributions to climate diplomacy since the first Conference of Parties (COP) in 1995. He emphasized that climate negotiation is a collaborative process where institutions and actors work tirelessly behind the scenes to represent the voices of the Filipino people who cannot directly be heard at the negotiating table.
Atty. Alaya de Leon, Deputy Executive Director of Forest Foundation Philippines, also reflected on her experience joining the UNFCCC negotiation process in 2011 and the REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) negotiations. From the early stages of her career to today, she expressed hope that the book would inspire the younger generation of climate negotiators and encourage future leaders to pursue international climate negotiations for the betterment of the Philippines and its people.
Atty. Vicente Paolo Yu III, co-editor of the book, reflected on the motivations behind Negotiations from the Front Lines as a collective effort to preserve the experiences of Philippine climate negotiators. He stressed that the country’s “fingerprints” can be found throughout various international agreements, including the UNFCCC, the Kyoto Protocol, and the Paris Agreement.
Atty. Cecilia Therese Guiao, co-editor of the book and Head Legal Officer of the Institute for International Legal Studies, unveiled access to the publication. In her remarks, she recalled taking part in the negotiations on the drafting of the Paris Agreement and emphasized the importance of mentorship to budding climate negotiators. She then concluded by launching the book’s online edition and announced that the book’s printed edition will be available soon.
The full ebook may be accessed through this link: https://bit.ly/NegotiationsfromtheFrontlines
Those interested in obtaining a hard copy of the book once it is published may fill out this form: http://bit.ly/NegotiationsHardCopy
