The National Resilience Council recognized the city government of Baguio for its exemplary work in enhancing local resilience through transformative initiatives and innovative governance.
Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong received the award during the acknowledgement ceremony held at the MOA Square in Pasay City, on March 17, 2025.
The NRC under the leadership of chair Hans. T. Sy of SM Prime Holdings, co-chair for the private sector and Dept. of Defense Secretary and Co-Chair for the Government Gilberto C. Teodoro, Jr., congratulated the city and Magalong for the initiative.
Magalong also served as one of the speakers showcasing the collaborative journey of the city from building its resiliency which is in turn aligned with the NRC’s – Prepare, Adapt and Transform Program.
In 2023, the government partnered with NRC, SM Supermalls and ARISE Philippines for the Resilient Local Government Unit Program implementation and the Adopt-A-City initiative of NRC.
Said programs served as opportunities for Baguio City to strengthen its resilience to climate and disaster risks through a multi-stakeholder approach.
The NRC is a public-private organization that seeks to bridge government units and private sector partners for collaboration in relation to disaster resilience. Part of their current initiatives is the attainment of the “Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 (the “Sendai Framework”).
The recent NRC recognition award firms up Baguio City’s aim to become a resilient city by 2026 in line with the international “Making Cities Resilient (MCR) 2030” program focused in making the city not only resilient but also “safe, inclusive and sustainable” in face of the looming impact of global warming.
MCR2030, a big flagship project of the United Nations, is said to be “a unique cross-stakeholder initiative for improving local resilience through advocacy, sharing knowledge and experiences, establishing mutually reinforcing city-to-city learning networks, injecting technical expertise, connecting multiple layers of government and building partnerships.”
It provides support to make cities worldwide “safer, preventing risks, promoting innovation and investments and building resilience” through the delivery of a “three-stage roadmap to urban resilience, providing tools, access to knowledge and monitoring and reporting tools”
A total of 1,603 cities worldwide have joined the program. In the Philippines, only Makati City has so far achieved resiliency status. By JM Samidan
