Metro Manila – The Philippines’ National Capital Region (NCR) is one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world (in terms of population). It is the seat of the Philippine national government and accounts for a third (31.5 percent) of the country’s annual gross domestic revenues. Unfortunately, the NCR is highly vulnerable to flooding and earthquakes, given its low-lying coastal location and the presence of the West Valley Fault System, which cuts across the entire region, from North to South. 

To mitigate climate and disaster risks in the region, the Department of the Interior and Local Government in the NCR (DILG-NCR) agreed to collaborate with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) under the Strengthening Institutions and Empowering Localities against Disasters and Climate Change (SHIELD) Programme, a resilience initiative supported by the Australian Government. 

SHIELD will support DILG-NCR’s new Upscaling Plans for Resilient Urban Governance (UPSURGE) Project, which will work with city planning officials in ensuring that their respective Comprehensive Development Plans (CDPs) are climate and disaster risk-informed, and aligned with relevant national laws and policies.

During the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding, NCR Regional Director Maria Lourdes Agustin noted that “We at DILG-NCR recognize the reality that ensuring the effectiveness and sustainability of local development initiatives requires constant knowledge exchange, agile policy reform, and an interdisciplinary approach to collaboration.”

Assistant Regional Director Lyn Baltazar-Cortez from the DILG-NCR and Portfolio Manager Mei Santos of the Australian Embassy in the Philippines witnessed the signing, along with officials from the DILG Bureau of Local Government Development, and SHIELD consortium partners, UN Habitat, National Resilience Council, Philippine Business for Social Progress, and the Consortium of Bangsamoro Civil Society.

“This is our 7th MOU under the SHIELD Programme and our shared zeal for building constituencies of resilience with the Australian Government is stronger than ever,” said UNDP Resident Representative Dr. Selva Ramachandran during the signing. “Even as all regions display significant rates of recovery and growth, Metro Manila remains the center of economic activity in the country. With the natural and historical risks that surround the country’s capital, we stand to lose a great deal of progress if a disaster puts Metro Manila to a standstill.”

Through SHIELD, Australia has provided AUD18 million to help the Philippine Government build institutional and community resilience to climate change and natural hazards by helping local governments pursue and invest in resilient development. The programme is being implemented in coordination with the DILG, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). Aside from Metro Manila, SHIELD is being implemented in 11 of the country's most climate and disaster vulnerable provinces, as well as in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). 

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