Iloilo City rebuilds resilience team

Iloilo City Resilience Team has been rebuilt to establish a strong foundation focusing on four pillars of resiliency in implementing Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) programs and projects.

Mayor Jerry P. Treñas recently issued an executive order reconstituting and designating team members providing for its powers and functions.

This is to complement and coordinate through a partnership with private-sector led National Resilience Council (NRC).

“There is a need to identify partners both from public and private sector to actively collaborate with NRC on DRR initiatives to strengthen the resiliency of lIonggos to disasters,” stated Treñas, who also chairs the team.

They shall pursue the priorities of the Sendai (Japan) Framework for DRR to:

-Understand disaster risk in all its dimensions of vulnerability, capacity, exposure of persons and assets, hazard characteristics and environment;

-Strengthen governance to manage disaster risk at national, regional and global levels through collaboration and partnership;

-Invest in DRR for resilience of persons, communities and their assets, as well as the environment by investing on economic social, health and cultural dimension; and

-Enhance disaster preparedness for effective response and to “Build, Back, Better” in recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction by taking proactive action and by ensuring that capacities are in place at all levels through integrating DRR into development measures.

The four pillars are (1) Human Development including health, education and social protection; (2) Local Economy including livelihood, Micro Medium Small Enterprises (MSMEs) and big businesses; (3) Infrastructure including housing, buildings and lifelines; and (4) Environment including ecosystem services, socio ecosystem and pollution management and resources.

The team vice-chairperson is Councilor Lady Julie Grace Baronda who is also chairman of the committee on social services and disaster relief of the City Council.

City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Officer Donna P. Magno serves as focal person.

Iloilo City is one of the pilot sites of NRC’s Resilient Cities Program.

NRC endeavors to strengthen the dynamic collaboration between public and private sectors in advancing science-based solutions to multiple challenges of disaster resilience.

NRC is one of concrete results of a series of Resilience Conference organized by the Carlos P. Romulo Foundation, Manila Observatory, Zuellig Family foundation, together with Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation and SM Arise Philippines.

Multi-stakeholders from government, private sector, scientific community and academe, shall affirm its support to pursue the continuing agenda to build a resilient Philippines. (PIO)