PASAY CITY, Philippines — Australia and the Philippines, led by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), together with development partners, local government units, civil society organizations, academia, private sector and resilience practitioners, convened for a two-day Resilience Exchange Forum to demonstrate how partnerships, innovation, and local leadership are translating climate action and disaster resilience commitments into tangible results for communities. 

The forum is part of the Strengthening Institutions and Empowering Localities Against Disasters and Climate Change (SHIELD) Programme, supported by the Australian Government through an investment of AUD 20.6 million (PhP 927 million). The forum serves as a national platform for sharing lessons, scaling proven solutions, advancing investments, and identifying pathways for institutionalizing resilience innovations across the Philippines. 

This two-day Forum brought together national and local government leaders, development partners, and resilience practitioners to explore ways to advance science and innovation, improve access to climate finance, strengthen resilience governance, and develop investment-ready projects that can attract support from government, development partners, and the private sector. It also provided a platform for local governments and partners to identify priority policies, investments, and partnerships to translate resilience plans into concrete action in communities.

"This year marks 80 years of diplomatic relations between Australia and the Philippines, and our Strategic Partnership underscores a shared commitment to strengthen resilience. The recent disaster events from the Sarangani earthquake and El Niño in the Philippines, have reinforced the importance of investing in resilience before disasters occur, including strengthening local resilience, advancing risk-informed decision-making, and fostering multi-stakeholder partnerships," said Australian Embassy Development Counsellor Peter Adams.

“Climate adaptation and resilience are central to human development, because they shape how communities anticipate risks, prepare before disasters occur, and make informed choices on their future. Through SHIELD, and with the strong support of the Australian Government and close collaboration with Philippine national and local authorities, UNDP is helping connect policy, local governance, partnerships, and financing so that resilience is not only planned, but built into development where it matters most,” said UNDP Resident Representative in the Philippines Christophe Bahuet.

At the forum, participants showcased how science, financing, and local leadership are driving stronger climate and disaster resilience across the Philippines. The Department of Science and Technology showcased hazard maps and impact assessments, supported by Geoscience Australia and the Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), that help communities be better prepared. In partnership with DILG, the practical guidance and investment toolkits are strengthening the capacity of local governments to develop and implement resilience initiatives that address local needs.

Access to finance emerged as a key priority with SHIELD support to key government agencies on efforts to make climate adaptation financing more accessible to local governments through the People's Survival Fund, advance a national framework on climate-related loss and damage, and use the Philippine Resilience Index to guide investments where they can have the greatest impact.

The forum also puts emphasis value on regional resilience approaches in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao as important foundations for a more resilient and peaceful Bangsamoro.

A key feature of the forum was the launch of the Sambayanihan Caselets that enabled evidence-driven decisions and collaborative leadership based on local resilience practices and experiences from provincial governments. Governors from Albay, Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, and Agusan del Sur shared lessons on how this platform has improved outcomes for their people.

Special Envoy of the President for Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Maria Antonia Yulo Loyzaga emphasized that building resilience requires partnerships that bring together government, the private sector, civil society, academia, communities, and other stakeholders around shared goals.

“With enhancing resilience as our purpose, I look forward to Sambayanihan being institutionalized by our LGUs, promoting the continuity and sustainability of resilience efforts beyond the SHIELD Programme,”Loyzaga said.

She stressed that these partnerships should be grounded in science, data and evidence, technology, and innovation, while taking into account local contexts in planning resilience actions. She also highlighted how shared responsibility and co-ownership can build trust and accountability and help successful approaches achieve greater scale and lasting impact

DILG Undersecretary Marlo L. Iringan highlighted the critical role of local governance in turning resilience plans into concrete results for communities. 

“Every disaster reminds us of one simple truth: resilience begins at the local level. Kapag may bagyo, baha, lindol, o anumang sakuna, our communities feel the impact first. And more often than not, it is our local governments, barangays, and frontliners who must respond first. At the DILG, our commitment is clear: Support our LGUs to have the capacity, resources, and systems to protect their people. We cannot prevent every disaster. But we can prevent a disaster from becoming a tragedy when we, government, development partners, civil society, and our communities work together. We know what must be done and let us do it hand in hand,” Iringan said on behalf of DILG Secretary Juanito Victor C. Remulla.

He emphasized that resilience also requires accountability and stronger institutions, with the Forum providing an opportunity to translate shared knowledge into “better planning, stronger institutions, more accountable governance, and communities better prepared for whatever comes next.”

Office of Civil Defense (OCD), meanwhile, underscored the need to move beyond developing plans and tools toward ensuring that resilience measures produce tangible results.

“Our objective is not simply to create more tools. It is to come up with better decisions, faster action, stronger institutions, and measurable resilience outcomes,” OCD Administrator Undersecretary Harold N. Cabreros said.

He stressed that resilience must ultimately translate into action at the local level, where risk information informs decisions, early warnings lead to timely action, communities can protect their livelihoods, and governments are better prepared before disasters strike.

The Strengthening Institutions and Empowering Localities against Disasters and Climate Change (SHIELD) Programme is supported by the Australian Government and implemented by the UNDP Philippines, consortium partners and government partners: Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), National Resilience Council (NRC), Consortium of Bangsamoro Civil Society (CBCS), United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Office of Civil Defense (OCD), and Department of Science and Technology (DOST).