The Department of the Interior and Local Government – National Capital Region (DILG-NCR), together with the regional line agencies, Department of Science and Technology (DOST-NCR)), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD-NCR), Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), Office of Civil Defense (OCD-NCR), and partner civil society organization, Catholic Relief Services (CRS) Philippines, successfully conducted the first quarter Tangguyob which was hosted by the City Government of Caloocan on March 5, 2025 at the Bulwagan ng Katipunan, Caloocan City Hall and attended by Local Disaster Risk Reduction Management Officers, Local Planning and Development Officers, and Local Social Welfare and Development Officers in the National Capital Region.

City Administrator Ms. Aurora C. Ciego warmly welcomed all the participants and highlighted that through the Tangguyob, Caloocan City will be able to showcase and share their best practices in DRRM that made them Gawad KALASAG’s Best Highly Urbanized City.

In response, DILG-NCR Regional Director Maria Lourdes L. Agustin, CESO III, thanked the City Government of Caloocan for hosting the Tangguyob, marking the first time an LGU hosted the activity since its inception. She also called for continuous convergence of resources and efforts and challenged the LGUs as well as the regional line agencies to translate the discussions in the Tangguyob to policy recommendations that can be endorsed to the Metro Manila Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (MMDRRMC) for approval and/or adoption. 

To kick off the discussions, Atty. Crisanto C. Saruca, Jr., MNSA Director IV of the Traffic Discipline Office and Officer-in-Charge of the MMDA’s Metropolitan Public Safety Office and Public Safety Division, talked about Data Privacy in Disaster Context Reporting. 

For the Prevention and Mitigation Thematic Area, Engr. Joe Rementilla, Senior Science Research Specialist from the DOST-NCR facilitated the discussion where Dr. Heracleo D. Lagrada, Jr., Administrative Officer V, Chief of HRDS from DENR-NCR, talked about the ongoing programs, projects, and activities of the agency under Outcome 6 of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plan while Mr. Paul Ezekiel M. Losaria, Development Management Officer III from the Climate Change Commission (CCC), discussed the Commission’s Communities for Resilience (CoRe) Program which aims to provide technical assistance to local governments on the formulation and enhancement of science-based and risk-informed LCCAP.

DILG-NCR RD Agustin presided over the discussion for the Disaster Preparedness pillar,  together with Local Government Operations Officer (LGOO) VI Maricor C. Dayandante. LGOO VI Dayandante gave a discussion on the results of the assessment of the 2024 Disaster Preparedness of the 17 LGUs under the Seal of Good Local Governance while LGOO III Mervin Angelo C. Tumada presented the “KalenDRRMyo”, an inter-agency calendar of activities which aims to avoid the duplication of PPAs, maximize the use of resources, and strategically target the needs of LGUs.  LGOO III Tumada also reminded LGUs that in line with the formulation of the Contingency Plan for Tsunami, concerned LGUs may access Operation Listo Manuals through the DILG-NCR’s Local Government Regional Resource Center (LGRRC) hub, to submit their respective Public Service Continuity Plans to the OCD-NCR and to include as part of the agenda for the next quarterly meeting of the 17 Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils (LDRRMCs) the cascading of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council Memorandum Circular No. 1 Series of 2025, also known as the “Guidelines in Reporting Affected Population and Pre-Emptive Evacuations.” 

Further, the City Government of Caloocan, through Mr. Alex P. Nadurata, Action Officer of the DRRM Department, presented the city’s DRRM assets and infrastructures to include their hotline number to respond to emergencies in the city while the City Government of  San Juan, through Ms. Rosalyn B. Agramo, City DRRM Focal Person for Research and Planning, highlighted their conduct of Community-Based Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (CBDRRM), their weather forecasting system and the benchmarking activities of other agencies to their Early Warning System. 

For the Response Thematic Area, Project Development Officer III John Roby A. Rojo from the DSWD-NCR moderated the discussion of the good practices of the City Governments of Pasig, Muntinlupa, and Parañaque in disaster response. Pasig City’s Social Welfare Officer III Lixter M. Lambinicio, RSW, shared the city’s CCCM reporting tools, information-gathering practices, and coordination mechanism; Muntinlupa City’s Social Welfare Officer IV Alma T. Sta. Maria presented their disaster response reporting practices; while Parañaque City’s Social Welfare Office I, Angeline  T. Luar, RSW, highlighted the city’s data collection and assessment, coordination mechanism, documentation of response activities, and records keeping. 

The Disaster Recovery and Rehabilitation Thematic Pillar discussion was then presided by Director Shiela Gail Satura-Quingco from the MMDA Metropolitan Development Planning Service. To present their accomplishments, MMDA’s Planning Officer V Mary Helene V. Alzona discussed the submission of inputs from the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Social Welfare and Development – National Capital Region (DSWD-NCR) highlighting Outcome 20 – Agricultural production is restored or increased and support services for farmers, fisherfolks, and laborers are made accessible and Outcome 22 – Affected individuals, families, and communities have access to responsive, appropriate and adequate education, health, and social protection services. 

Ms. Marcelle Rubis, Program Manager for Urban DRR from the CRS – Philippines, discussed the CSO’s accomplishment for the first quarter and their plans for the second quarter. She further explained about CRS’ signature areas and strategic priorities under the Advancing Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation while OCD NCR’s Planning Officer I Julleah Sheena Narag presented the schedule of activities of the agency for the upcoming months and the possible cost-sharing mechanism in the implementation of their activities before she presented the summary of agreements and ways forward. 

In her closing speech, DOST-NCR Regional Director Engr. Romelen T. Tresvalles emphasized the need for readiness in the face of looming disasters and threats and the need for a continued collaboration among stakeholders in harmonizing all efforts and initiatives in DRRM. 

For this year, the quarterly Tangguyob of the DILG-NCR will now be hosted by local government units in the National Capital Region as a platform facility for collaboration, showcasing of good practices, and achieving the outcomes under the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plan (NDRRMP) 2020-2030.