As floodwaters once again inundate Metro Manila, Cagayan, and other provinces, this year’s National Disaster Resilience Month comes with a painful reminder that resilience stays out of reach for many communities. The combined effects of Tropical Storm Crising and the southwest monsoon have affected over 1.27 million individuals nationwide (as of 22 July 2025), displacing thousands and disrupting lives in both urban centers and rural communities. In Cagayan Valley and Pangasinan, nearly PHP97 million agricultural losses, including over 2,000 metric tons of rice, have devastated farmers and food supply. We still see the cracks in our preparedness system, from flood-prone roads to fragile livelihoods, underscoring the need for urgent, systemic action beyond relief.

The theme ‘KUMIKILOS Para sa Kahandaan, Kaligtasan at Katatagan: Kayang Umaksyon ng Mamamayan na Isabuhay ang Kahandaan ng Bawat Isa Para Maging Ligtas sa Oras ng Sakuna’ puts emphasis on people and community resilience. 

This is an important discourse in light of the recent local elections as local chief executives begin crafting their executive and legislative priorities within the first 100 days of new local administration across LGUs. This month, the Newly Elected Officials Performing Leadership for Uplifting Service (NEO PLUS) Program organized by the Local Government Academy - Department of the Interior and Local Government (LGA-DILG) places climate and disaster resilience as among the core topics of the introductory course of this leadership training. With the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) contributing to the session on building a supportive ecosystem for development, we demonstrate a clear case for LGUs to embed resilience into governance, planning, budgeting and investments. By levelling up leadership, LGUs can mobilize partnerships and long-term investments.

In boosting resilience investments, the choice and type of investment matter. Digital solutions and tools such as early warning systems, maps, and dashboards are crucial to complement the hard infrastructure investments. A drainage system performs better when combined with predictive weather tools. Floodwalls are more effective when checked with real-time applications. However, one major challenge is the digital readiness of LGUs to sustain them beyond project timelines. UNDP’s work with LGUs reveals a mixed picture on digital readiness for disaster resilience. Many are eager. Some are leading. But most are at different stages of readiness. Low-income or geographically isolated and economically disadvantaged areas have limited technical personnel and infrastructure gaps to make full use of resilience tools. This is where the Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (LDRRM) Fund becomes critical. It mandates LGUs allocate 5% of their annual budget for this fund and could be utilized to procure and sustain the use of digital resilience tools. 

To close the gap between access and action, UNDP works with the DILG, Office of Civil Defense (OCD), Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and Provincial LGUs under the Strengthening Institutions and Empowering Localities Against Disasters and Climate Change (SHIELD) Programme supported by the Australian Government. 

SHIELD places a strong focus on localization, which is why UNDP collaborates with Provincial LGUs, DOST - Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS), Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Unit (DRR-CCU), and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources - Mines and Geosciences Bureau (DENR-MGB). The goal is to ensure that credible scientific information is not only available but also understood, trusted, and used in local planning and decision-making.

Over the next two years, SHIELD will deliver earthquake and tsunami local impact data, AI tools for mapping built-up areas, climate projection-based agricultural impact maps, severe wind hazard, tropical cyclones, and storm surge maps, landslide assessment and coastal vulnerability index. These are useful in updating the existing maps on the GeoriskPH platform and supporting the National Geohazard Assessment and Mapping Program. 

Last April, we kicked off in Albay Province, and we will replicate in other SHIELD program areas. Additionally, SHIELD helps LGUs embrace digital solutions for local disaster resilience through a three-step approach: Digital solutions mapping, training, and co-designing, and deployment of tools like typhoon early warning applications for communities and provincial resilience dashboards. Complementing the efforts at the national level, UNDP also collaborates with OCD, DOST, and other agencies in developing the Digital Readiness Strategy (DRS) Operational Plan, which focuses on establishing a unified data-sharing and standardization protocol across disaster risk reduction and management pillars.

SHIELD promotes a balanced approach. We invest in both digital tools and the people and institutions that use them. Access to information does not guarantee its use. People must know how to monitor floods in real-time, follow early warnings, and participate in planning. We must shift from building platforms to building trust, usability, and relevance and ensure that digital tools meet LGUs where they are and grow with them. UNDP remains committed to making this a reality. [E]