THE Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in the Philippines marked an important milestone in their partnership for an initiative to strengthen the disaster and climate resilience of targeted local governments in the Philippines over the next six years.

DILG Secretary Eduardo Año and UNDP Philippines Officerin-Charge Edwine Carrié signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the Strengthening Institutions and Empowering Localities Against Disasters and Climate Change (Shield) Program, designed to accelerate resiliencebuilding efforts at the local level by collaborating with multiple STAKEHOLDERS TO UNLOCK fiNANCING and implement risk-informed and inclusive resilience actions.

The program is being implemented in partnership with DILG, and with UNDP Philippines and the consortium partners comprised of the Consortium of Bangsamoro Civil Society, National Resilience Council, Philippine Business for Social Progress, and UN-Habitat.

Through Shield, the Australian Government has invested AU$18 million to support the government of the Philippines to build institutional and community resilience to natural hazards and climate change by enabling local governments to pursue and invest in resilient development.

Secretary Año, in his message, lauded the initiative and noted that “There are LGUs experiencing DIFfiCULTIES IN ACCESSING FUNDS DUE to program viability and project management readiness. Shield seeks to address these by providing other DISASTER fiNANCING OPTIONS FOR OUR LGUs, enabling them to implement more risk-informed measures.”

As lead government partner, DILG will provide oversight and strategic direction to facilitate the achievement of the Shield Program outcomes.

The initiative will also work with PHILIPPINE SCIENTIfiC AGENCIES TO produce tailored and accessible information to aid disaster risk reduction and resilience building.

While the Philippines has made SIGNIfiCANT PROGRESS IN THE AREAS OF disaster risk reduction and climate action, more work remains to strengthen resilience. The cost of disasters to THE COUNTRY IS SIGNIfiCANTLY HIGH, WITH local governments and communities bearing the brunt.