The DILG National Capital Region and the United Architects of the Philippines (UAP) met to explore potential partnership and collaborations in advancing resilience-building in Metro Manila during a coordination meeting held on July 3, 2025 at the DILG-NCR Regional Office in North Avenue, Quezon City. 

The meeting was attended by the UAP National President Ar. Jonathan V. Manalad, Ph.D., FUAP, PIEP, Executive Vice President Chona E. Ponce, Ph.D., FUAP, and key officers from the UAP-Pasig Chapter. Representing the DILG-NCR were Assistant Regional Director Atty. Ana Lyn R. Baltazar-Cortez, CESO IV, DILG Pasig City Director Visitacion C. Martinez, Cluster Head LGOO VII Marianne B. Anceno, LGOO VI Jovette F. Genoa, Local Government Capability Development Division (LGCDD) Assistant Chief LGOO VI Maria Jasmin D. Diaz, and the members of the Regional Accreditation Committee (RAC) Secretariat, who welcomed the UAP delegation.

The discussion was opened by the Assistant Regional Director Baltazar-Cortez by presenting the Department’s ongoing initiatives on building safe and resilient communities, emphasizing the potential role of UAP in supporting these efforts. Engineer III Albert John V. Punzalan of the Project Development and Management Unit (PDMU) also provided an overview of DILG-NCR’s infrastructure audit – an initiative to assess the structural integrity and resilience of public infrastructure as part of the broader disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation efforts in the region. 

The meeting also featured an orientation on civil society organization (CSO) accreditation. LGCDD Acting Chief Maria Jasmin D. Diaz, Head of the Regional Accreditation Committee (RAC) Secretariat, presented the regional accreditation process as a formal mechanism for co-implementing DILG-NCR’s programs, projects, and activities. Additionally, Development Management Officer III Aaron B. Bustamante provided a brief walkthrough of the accreditation guidelines and procedures, encouraging UAP’s active participation as a CSO partner.

During the meeting, DILG-NCR and UAP identified key areas of collaboration, including the integration of architectural expertise into local planning, the provision of technical assistance to local government units (LGUs), and the implementation of capacity-building programs. UAP also expressed their commitment to advancing its advocacies and expanding their presence and impact at the community level. 

Moving forward, the DILG-NCR hopes this marks the beginning of a strategic partnership between the DILG-NCR and UAP – one that will foster innovative, risk-informed, and sustainable resilience-building initiatives throughout the region.