NATIONAL SECURITY POLICY that in the past, cybercrime was committed mainly by individuals or small groups, but today we are seeing highly complex cybercriminal networks bring together individuals from across the globe in real time to commit crimes on an unprecedented scale. To meet these rapidly evolving security challenges in cyberspace, the Philippines must first and foremost develop the nation’s cyber capabilities. Experts noted that one of the most serious weaknesses of the Philippines is the low number of practicing cybersecurity professionals. The State must enhance and expand its pool of information and communication technology (ICT) experts, especially in the law enforcement and security sectors, in order to equip the government with the necessary skills/knowhow to preempt and combat cyber-based crimes. Collaborative efforts with the academe and the business community should be part of this national campaign. CLIMATE CHANGE Scientific studies show that the Philippines is highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. In its most recent assessment, the Inter-Governmental Panel for Climate Change stressed that the rising global temperature has already impacted on the climate threshold of the earth. For the Philippines, the findings predicted that we will experience extreme maximum and minimum temperatures, more frequent intense rains, and more disastrous tropical cyclones (e.g. Typhoon Haiyan) with an average of 22 typhoons per year. The possibility of more El Nifio weather episodes will also increase. According to a 2015 study funded by the US Agency for International Development, every single major city in the Philippines is expected to face some form of water shortage by 2025. Scholars of climate change believe that change in climate variability increases the risk of armed conflict in certain circumstances, even if the strength of the effects is uncertain. Evidence suggests that climatic events over a large range of time and spatial scales contribute to the likelihood of violence through multiple pathways. The effects of climate change on conflict and insecurity have the potential to become key risks because factors such as poverty and economic shocks that are associated with higher risk of violent conflict are themselves sensitive to climate change. poor and vulnerable Given the enormous impact of climate change especially on the population, the United Nations viewed climate change as a threat multiplier or as an indirect pathway that could exacerbate existing sources of conflict and insecurity. There are five channels through which climate change could affect security: (i) threat to the well-being of the most vulnerable communities; (ii) impact to economic development --- halting or significantly slowing-down growth thereby worsening poverty and increasing desperation; (iii) second-order effect of unsuccessful adaptation in the form of uncoordinated coping or survival strategies of local population; (iv) threat posed by climate change to the viability and even survival of a number of sovereign states; and (v) availability or 17|Page