Butuan City– The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in the Philippines has sealed its partnership with the Provincial Government of Agusan del Norte to build safer and more resilient local communities.

Through a Memorandum of Understanding signed by Agusan del Norte Governor Angelica Amante and UNDP Philippines Deputy Resident Representative Edwine Carrié, the Australian Government-supported Strengthening Institutions and Empowering Localities against Disasters and Climate Change (SHIELD) Programme will boost the province’s disaster and climate resilience capacities through the leveraging of multistakeholder partnerships, risk-based planning, creating value chains, and ensuring business continuity.

Present to witness the start of this landmark partnership were Ms. Mei Santos, Portfolio Manager, and Mr. Harry Pasimio, Jr., Senior Program Officer, of the Australian Embassy. The MOU signing was also attended by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Caraga Assistant Regional Director Engr. Donald Seronay, representatives from SHIELD consortium partners UN-Habitat, National Resilience Council (NRC), and Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), and other local government officials.

Deputy Resident Representative Carrié was elated to see UNDP continue its deep-rooted partnership with Agusan Del Norte, stating that the launch of the SHIELD Programme will “further support the province in developing their resilience to the impacts of disasters and climate change which will propel [the province] towards good governance, poverty reduction, and sustainable development.”

Governor Amante expressed her gratitude for the technical expertise that SHIELD will be bringing to the province, saying that “Agusan del Norte is fortunate that we have been chosen [as one of the program sites].” She further underscored SHIELD’s importance to the local chief executives present during the ceremony and rallied their full support for its implementation.

Agusan del Norte perennially faces natural hazards such as tropical cyclones, flooding, and landslides, and is also threatened by storm surges, soil erosion, and sea-level rise. These calamities have caused widespread agricultural damage in the past, which is problematic for a province that is highly dependent on the production and processing of abaca, coffee, plywood, and corn for its income.

The Australian Government is providing AUD 18 million through the SHIELD Progamme to assist the Philippine Government enhance institutional and community resilience against climate change and natural hazards. This support aims to empower local governments to pursue resilient development and enable them to make strategic investments towards their goal. 

The SHIELD Programme is being implemented by UNDP Philippines together with the DILG and the consortium partners UN-Habitat, NRC, PBSP, and the Consortium of Bangsamoro Civil Society. Program areas will cover 11 of the country’s most vulnerable provinces to disaster and climate change impacts, as well as Metro Manila and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). ####