TRAILBLAZER IN RESILIENCY AND SUSTAINABILITY: Iloilo City Launches Project TRANSFORM for Climate Resilience

Iloilo City, a recognized leader in sustainability, has set in motion Project TRANSFORM to reinforce its commitment to building greener, more livable communities.

Project TRANSFORM, or Transdisciplinary Approach for Resilience and Sustainability through Multistakeholder Engagement, is a flagship program of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) now being implemented ahead of schedule in Iloilo City.

The city’s rapid progress is credited to the leadership of the Iloilo City Government, along with the regional offices of DENR and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), in collaboration with other stakeholders committed to ecosystem resilience.

“We come together, and we talk to the experts. But the most important thing of all is action,” said Mayor Jerry Treñas, emphasizing the urgency of climate resilience.

Iloilo City is among the identified priority areas for Project TRANSFORM’s 2025–2026 implementation, along with the provinces of Iloilo and Leyte.

To initiate the project, PHP5 million from the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund was allocated for transformative initiatives, including green-blue-gray infrastructure addressing climate and disaster-related risks.

“Amo na kadasig ang core group because we felt the urgency to address the issue, and it is aligned with the vision of the mayor,” said City DRRM Officer Donna Magno.

On April 30, experts convened at the Knowledge Development Center in Central Philippine University to discuss immediate and feasible actions.

Among the key participants were Fiscal Jeremy Bionat, environmental advocate; Sanny Jegillos, former senior adviser at the United Nations Development Programme; Dr. Jurgenne Primavera, marine scientist; Dr. Leilani Suerte, geologist and science specialist from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau Region 6; Prof. Jessica Dator-Bercilla, science resilience fellow at the National Resilience Council; Engr. Noel Hechanova, former executive director of the Iloilo-Batiano River Development Council; and Architect Tygrid Caipang of the City Engineer’s Office.

Top officials from the DENR-6 led by Regional Executive Director Raul Lorilla, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Region 6 represented by Assistant Regional Director Engr. Jose Al Fruto, and heads from both the city and provincial governments also participated.

“LGU, DENR, DPWH, and green-blue-gray experts bravely responded to tough questions that helped us understand what we’re dealing with and how we can move from concept and theory to practice—efficiently,” said Dator-Bercilla.

She added that more stakeholders, including civil society organizations, people’s organizations, the academe, and the private sector, will be involved.

“Sabay-sabay na matuto, sabay-sabay umaksyon,” she said.

Jegillos emphasized that combining nature-based and traditional engineering solutions brings multiple benefits, such as reducing flood risk and urban heat, improving air and water quality, enhancing biodiversity, and building resilience.

“Every citizen would love to benefit from these,” he said.

A follow-up meeting of the Technical Working Group with Mayor Treñas was held at City Hall on May 2.

Earlier, Treñas issued Executive Order No. 23 to form the Iloilo City Task Force on Greening the Urban Spaces, supporting the National Greening Program.

“It’s important that we align and harmonize our work with the national government and the projects in the city with the initiatives and direction of the mayor,” said EnP Ronald Cartagena, City Planning and Development Coordinator and task force vice chairperson.

In March, Iloilo City joined the Visayas-Mindanao leg of the Project TRANSFORM Lecture Series in Cagayan de Oro.

By month’s end, city and provincial leaders met with DENR Region 6 at the Iloilo City Action and Resilience Center (ICARE) Gaisano for an exploratory session.

Project TRANSFORM is also underway in Luzon (including Baguio City, Pangasinan, Isabela, Palawan, Masbate, and Verde Island Passage provinces) and in Mindanao areas such as Zamboanga del Norte, Davao de Oro, Maguindanao del Norte, and Bukidnon.