The Department of the Interior and Local Government – National Capital Region (DILG-NCR) emphasized the importance of science, financing, and collaborative planning in strengthening environmental management during a breakout session of Sustaining Synergistic, Strategic, and Transformative Leadership: 2025 NEO PLUS Urban Governance Course for Newly Elected and Reelected Officials in the National Capital Region on August 27, 2025 at Novotel Manila Araneta City, Quezon City. 

Dr. Emma E. Porio, Resilience Fellow and Board of Trustee of the National Resilience Council, opened the discussion on the multiple hazards faced by the Philippines, which currently ranks as the number one country in the World Risk Index. Given this context, she stressed that science-led strategies are imperative to inform the actions of the government. She also presented the high correlation between flooded areas and the presence of informal settlements in the region. Urging the local government officials of Metro Manila to produce scientific and data driven plans, Dr. Porio recommended strengthening multi-stakeholder partnerships, investing in science and technology, and mainstreaming DRRM in development planning. 

Subsequently, Jacqueline Miel-Soliguin, SHIELD Programme Manager of the United Nations Development Programme, shared mechanisms on how local governments can tap funding sources for resilience projects which aim to address the risks brought by disasters and climate change. She underscored the need for resilience financing, explaining that this approach yields high returns on disaster risk reduction and cost savings in emergencies. To effectively design resilience investment proposals, Soliguin identified key considerations which include a clear risk and vulnerability context; involvement of local stakeholders in the project identification, design, and implementation; poverty reduction potential; cost-effectiveness; sectoral impacts; recognition of gender-differentiated vulnerabilities; and the alignment of existing local climate change adaptation and development plans and policies. She concluded with guide points for LGUs to strengthen their financing and investment strategies. 

In his presentation on Planning for Livability: Collaborative Approaches in Building a Resilient Metro Manila, Architect Felino Albano Palafox, Principal Architect-Urban Planner and Founder of Palafox Associates, highlighted that as the population of the country continues to grow, 100 cities that are smart, sustainable, resilient, liveable and healthy are needed by 2050. To promote sustainable development in Metro Manila, Ar. Palafox suggested having mixed-use and multi-use development which promotes pedestrianization, maximizes land values for priority areas, promotes sharing of infrastructure, and provides an attractive transition between land uses. 

Through the breakout session on environmental management, newly elected and reelected local officials of NCR were equipped with valuable knowledge and practical insights that can be translated into responsive programs and policies for their respective LGUs, contributing to a more sustainable and resilient Metro Manila.