In a panel of experts convened by the Philippine Red Cross on March 4, 2026, the Department of the Interior and Local Government – National Capital Region (DILG–NCR) strengthened the call to establish multi-stakeholder partnerships and collaboration as a local governance framework in advancing disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation.

Representing DILG–NCR Regional Director Maria Lourdes L. Agustin, CESO III, in a panel discussion during the Climate Resilience Multi-Stakeholder Forum, Local Government Capability Development Division (LGCDD) Chief Luigi D.C. Pilarta underscored that forging partnerships with various stakeholders is imperative for local government units (LGUs). 

“In a BANI (Brittle, Anxious, Nonlinear, and Incomprehensible) world we live in, our LGUs are duty-bound to coordinate and collaborate horizontally and vertically across sectors to address compound and cascading risks that require multi- and transdisciplinary approaches,” Division Chief Pilarta said. This approach to risk governance, according to Division Chief Pilarta, must also be translated into local policies and investments to ensure that rigid, top-down risk reduction strategies shift effectively toward more adaptive and participatory disaster and climate resilience actions. 

This was in response to the keynote presentation delivered by Dr. Carlos Primo Gundan of the University of the Philippines Resilience Institute (UPRI) during the plenary session. At the core of his presentation, Dr. Gundan stressed that disaster and climate risks are complex systems challenges that impact multiple sectors such as governance, economy, health, ecosystems, and infrastructure, among others. 

In the afternoon session of the forum, Division Chief Pilarta also served as a resource speaker in one of the breakout sessions titled “Deconstructing Partnerships and Collaboration in Local Climate Adaptation.” Speaking before local disaster risk reduction and management practitioners and civil society organization representatives, he emphasized that good local governance is a key driving force in establishing and sustaining strategic, long-term partnerships and collaboration.

In one of the exchanges, Division Chief Pilarta said, “Upholding good local governance assures the public that our LGUs are dependable and trusted partners. Public trust, as emphasized during the plenary, coupled with technical competency, compassion, and empathy, drives collective action necessary to bounce forward from disasters and build community resilience.”

The Climate Resilience Multi-Stakeholder Forum is part of the Zurich Climate Resilience Alliance (ZCRA) Project in the Philippines, co-implemented by the Philippine Red Cross, Plan International Philippines, and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

In the face of increasingly complex and compounding risks, the DILG National Capital Region continues to strengthen the foundations of climate and disaster resilience. As challenges evolve in this BANI world, the Department remains steadfast in ensuring that local governments are not only prepared to respond to crises but are also equipped to lead transformative, collective action toward safer, adaptive, and more resilient communities.