The Iloilo City government is set to formalize a partnership with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to implement activities aimed at promoting environmental sustainability.
On Wednesday, the Sangguniang Panlungsod authorized Mayor Raisa Treñas to sign an agreement with the DENR for Project TRANSFORM (Transdisciplinary Approach for Resilience and Environmental Sustainability through Multi-Stakeholder Engagement).
“This is a five-year program wherein the public, private, and people’s organizations are encouraged to collaborate to improve ecosystem resilience. This is LGU (local government unit)-led, and we were chosen as one of the pilot areas,” stated Donna Magno, chief of the Iloilo City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO), in an interview.
The signing ceremony in Manila, which will include other LGUs identified for the initiative, will coincide with a colloquium where Treñas will serve as one of the panelists.
Magno noted that even prior to the launch of TRANSFORM, Iloilo City had already initiated various environmental projects. These include a multi-stakeholder dialogue held from June 25-27, where participants discussed the project and developed a roadmap.
“Our focus during the road mapping was to examine our green, blue, and gray initiatives,” she explained. Green initiatives pertain to the greening of open spaces, blue initiatives focus on mangroves and water, and gray initiatives relate to infrastructure.
The city plans to create an action plan outlining specific activities to be implemented over the next five years, with an initial fund of PHP5 million. Magno emphasized that these activities will align with the Rise-to-Action priorities set by Mayor Treñas.
“TRANSFORM has pooled everyone onto one platform, streamlined activities, and provided direction,” she added.
Vice Mayor Lady Julie Grace Baronda highlighted that Project TRANSFORM will enhance the city’s initiatives, particularly those of the CDRRMO, in mitigating the impacts of climate change. “Our disaster resiliency efforts do not end with just one sector; it is a multisectoral approach,” she stated in a separate interview.