As part of the Open Gov Week 2025 celebration, the Department of the Interior and Local Government – National Capital Region (DILG-NCR) facilitated a session titled, “Headway to Resilient Governance: Building the Resilience and Withstanding Risks of National Capital Region through Multi-Stakeholder Solutions” on May 21, 2025, at Luxent Hotel, Quezon City.

The session was primarily designed to highlight the importance of multi-stakeholder collaboration in building the capacities of LGUs to prepare for and respond to climate and disaster risks. In attendance were representatives from the Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Offices (DRRMOs) of the 17 NCR LGUs, as well as from the 40 barangays transected by the West Valley Fault System.

To formally commence, DILG-NCR Regional Director Maria Lourdes L. Agustin, CESO III provided an overview of the Department’s resilience efforts and commended key stakeholders for their steadfast dedication in co-developing and co-implementing these capacity building interventions.

“Our experience has taught us that collaborative efforts result in greater and better outcomes. In the grand scheme of disaster preparedness and climate change action, the expertise of one may do so little, but the combined expertise of many will lead to success,” RD Agustin mentioned.

During the first part of the session, LGOO III Mervin Angelo C. Tumada of the DILG-NCR Local Government Monitoring and Evaluation Division presented the salient points of the Department’s Resilience Governance Roadmap, a six-year plan outlining the necessary steps to institutionalize resilience governance in the region. He also introduced Tangguyob, a platform spearheaded by DILG-NCR that enables various stakeholders to harmonize initiatives across the four (4) disaster thematic pillars.

Afterwards, Luigi D.C. Pilarta, Acting Chief of the DILG-NCR Local Government Capability Development Division, discussed the resilience initiatives of the Department—from the launch of the UPSURGE Project in 2023, to the establishment of the Metro Manila Disaster Preparedness Network, and the rollout of the BRAVE AKO Training Program in 2024. Specifically, he emphasized how DILG-NCR’s partners-in-resilience have contributed to the development of evidence-based and client-focused capacity development interventions, resulting in more targeted and responsive initiatives.

Delving further into the session, ARISE Philippines Co-Chairperson Engr. Liza B. Silerio and United Nations Development Programme – Strengthening Institutions and Empowering Localities against Disasters and Climate Change (UNDP-SHIELD) Programme Manager Jacqueline Miel-Soliguin presented the key programs of their organizations, and how these have supported the Department’s endeavors. They also stressed the significance of sustaining collaborative efforts to effectively bridge the gap in mitigating climate and disaster risks in the region.

Taguig City DRRMO Research and Planning Officer Alaine Keith M. de Leon then shared his experiences in participating in DILG-NCR’s capacity building programs, as well as the impact of these interventions to the city’s existing DRRM initiatives. 

Concluding the session, DILG-NCR Assistant Regional Director Atty. Ana Lyn R. Baltazar-Cortez, CESO IV expressed her appreciation towards the NCR LGUs, DILG-NCR Field Officers, as well as the Department’s partner organizations for their unwavering commitment to strengthening resilience-building efforts across the region.

“May our collaboration grow stronger as we collectively strive to create a safer, smarter, and more sustainable future for the people of Metro Manila,” ARD Baltazar-Cortez said in closing.

Spearheaded by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), the Open Gov Week 2025 is an annual celebration centered on advancing innovation and reforms on the areas identified under the Open Gov Challenge, such as climate and environment, gender and inclusion, access to information, civic space, and public participation.