Memorandum for the Petitioners ( 111 8.119. Filipino children’s right to health, life, adequate standard of living, protection from violence and conflict, and education have all been in impacted due to climate change, and will continue to do so. In the Philippines, children living in poverty, children living in rural locations and informal urban settlements, 526 children with disabilities, and children from indigenous communities527 already experience significant gaps in their access to services and in meeting key development targets across a range of key outcome areas. Climate shocks and stress will increase this inequity. 8.120. Thirdly andfinally, despite being least responsible for the causes of climate change, it is children and future generations that will bear the heaviest burden of our inadequate action to tackle climate change, since they will live longer, and face more profound , widespread, and recurrent crises as the impacts of climate change escalate over time.528 r 8. 121. The Philippines illustrates the extent of child vulnerability to climate change: the country is consistently ranked529 among the top five countries most vulnerable to climate change impacts and has a large youth population that is expected to grow in the coming years . 530 Expert witnesses Drs. Rosa Perez and May Celine Vicente531 extensively discussed children’s vulnerabilities to climate change and disaster impacts in the Philippines. Dr. Vicente concluded and recommended: ... Children are central to climate change and human security concerns. . . . Climate change impacts broader sustainable agenda especially for poverty reduction and Millennium Development Goals now named as Sustainable Development Goals and expanded strategies responsive to children’s needs are necessary especially towards better adaptation and resilience. Climate change would form major constraints to meeting MDGs targets especially concerning children. Children are also considered agents for social change. r A human rights based approach is needed to include children’s issues. It is important to integrate children’s agenda to governmental processes. Adaptation must See Testimony of RJ De Ramos, TSN 23 -24 May 2018 , pp. 232-233, available at http://chr.gov .ph/wpcontent/upIoads/2019/04/NICC-TSN- May-23-to-24 -2018- Metro- ManiIa-Philippines.pdf ( last accessed on 526 12 September 2019). See Exhibit “M” to “M-4 ” supra note 8; also see Cahilig, R ., TSN dated 27-28 March 2018 , pp. 13 -28, supra note 458. 528 UNICEF Amicus , supra note 45, Children and Climate Change: an Overview , p. 2 . 529 Ibid., citing Germanwatch, Global Climate Risk Index 2018 for the period 1997-2016. 530 UNICEF Amicus, supra note 45, Children and Climate Change : an Overview, p. 2. 531 Exhibit “MM MM ,” Abstract of the study entitled *Country Scoping Studies to Build Evidence on Children ’s Vulnerabilities to Climate Change and Disaster Impacts: Philippines ’ Report Submitted to the UNICEF by the Manila Observatory of Rosa Perez, PhD and May Celine Vicente , PhD, dated 20 August 2018; Exhibit “PPPP” to “PPPP-26,” Printed PowerPoint Presentation of Rosa Perez, PhD and May Celine Vicente , PhD, entitled "Country Scoping Studies to Build Evidence on Children’s Vulnerabilities to Climate Change and Disaster Impacts: Philippines also see Testimonies of Drs. Rosa Perez and May Celine Vicente, TSN dated 29- 30 August 2018 , pp. 41 -51 . 527