PIA Deputy Director-General for Regional Operations and  Gender and Development (GAD) FPS-TWG Chairperson Adolfo Ares P. Gutierrez (front row, 8R) and PIA-NCR Regional Director Emver Cortez (second row, center) join women leaders in a resilience-building forum together with DILG-NCR Regional Director Maria Lourdes Agustin (front row, 7R), and DBM-NCR Regional Director Ruby P. Muro (front row, 2L). (Photo Courtesy: Kervin Valerio/PIA-NCR) 

The power of women shines from different walks of life. They excel as mothers, teachers, lawyers, law enforcers, and leaders in today’s landscape of gender-responsive social transformation that advances women's representation. 

We see women in policy-making but how often do we see them take the lead in resilience-building? 

The Department of the Interior and Local Government - National Capital Region (DILG-NCR) brought together women leaders and women-led local organizations in a forum that sought to highlight the importance of integrating gender equality into climate and disaster resilience actions. 

The said forum entitled “Building Resilience through Women’s Empowerment” showed the potential of women to serve as the bedrock of disaster risk reduction and active partners in resilience-building towards effective climate change adaptation. 

“In the context of climate change and disasters, women stand at the forefront of leading and shaping resilience-building actions both at the national and local levels,” said DILG-NCR Regional Director Maria Lourdes Agustin. 

“We affirm our commitment to supporting and uplifting other women leaders in our communities and organizations who work tirelessly toward  building a more resilient and sustainable future for all of us,” she added. 

Quezon City: iRISE UP

During the forum, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte cited the sustainability initiatives of the local government in strengthening local climate resilience while enhancing the ability of women to take proactive steps in addressing the threats of extreme climate impacts. 

“I would like to think that in order to equip and empower women, we should not only provide them access to resources but also grant them the opportunity and the authority to lead, represent, and to make risk-informed decisions without the constraints that limit them to be “mga babae lang,” said Belmonte. 

Among the priority thrusts of the city government is the implementation of the iRISE UP (Intelligent, Resilient, and Integrated Systems for the Urban Population) which encapsulates the creation of localized risk maps, advisories, and guidelines that will allow communities to make accurate and timely informed decisions relative to weather situations. 

The local government of Quezon City, being the largest city in Metro Manila, also crafted contingency plans for extreme rainfall and earthquakes that recognize the vulnerability of women in disasters and other climate emergencies. 

It is likewise worth noting that Quezon City is the only city in Metro Manila whose Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (LDRRMO) is led by a woman, EnP Maria Bianca Perez.

“Let us establish a sustained enabling environment that recognizes the innate capacity of women and strengthens their courage and confidence so that they can, and are able to make decisive decisions,” Belmonte remarked. 

Malabon City: Disaster Resilient, Climate Change Adaptive, and Sustainable Socialized Housing Project 

For her part, Malabon City Mayor Jeannie Sandoval shed light on the St. Gregory Homes socialized housing project under the Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino (4PH) program, which paved the way for a thriving community endeavor. 

“When we say home, what comes to mind? Do we evoke the images of walls and roofs or do we encompass the feelings of safety, acceptance, and belonging of those who live in it? These are the questions that guided us when we embarked on the journey to envision St. Gregory Homes,” Sandoval underscored. 

St. Gregory Homes in Barangay Panghulo sheltered 420 families living along waterways and other dangerous zones since its completion in December 2023. 

The project comprises three (3) 25-storey buildings with a total of 1,380 units, meeting the needs of the community in terms of housing security. 

The local government also established a cooperative inside the St. Gregory Homes which enables the residents to pool their resources, share expertise, and collectively engage in economic activities towards holistic resilience. 

St. Gregory Homes also supports the cultivation of hydroponic crops to strengthen food security and community self-sufficiency as well as the use of e-tricycles to reduce carbon footprints. 

“The journey we’ve embarked upon in St. Gregory Homes is not just about building houses, it’s about nurturing communities, fostering resilience, and empowering individuals to create a better future for themselves and their families,” said Sandoval. 

Pasig City: Becoming a Model Climate Action City 

Pasig City Councilor Maria Luisa Angela de Leon-Rivera meanwhile shared the local government initiatives that tap on the adaptive capacities of communities to mitigate and reduce disaster risks.

These primarily include the implementation of the City-wide Land Information Management and Automation (CLIMA) which utilizes geographic information systems (GIS) in integrating disaster data and real property information towards enabling the local government to have a more efficient disaster response mechanism. 

“It has been long established that women have equal share with men in the stakes of sustainable development. The city of Pasig is not an exemption,” said Rivera. 

“Mainstreaming gender is also a serious endeavor. City employees' attendance to gender-sensitivity training is mandatory. Those who violate safe space laws are being dealt with accordingly,” she added. 

Apart from the localization of the Safe Spaces Act (Republic Act 11313) or the Bawal Bastos Law, the local government of Pasig is actively working towards increasing women representation in policy-making in a bid to foster a gender-conscious governance. 

This is based on the significant linkage between the issues on disaster risk management, gender, and environment. At present, only 32 percent of the barangay officials of Pasig and 4 out of the 14 city council members are women. 

“Importante ang kakayahang ipahayag at ilunsad ang agenda na kumakatawan sa pananaw at boses ng mga kababaihan-sa pagpaplano, pag-iimplementa, pag-monitor, and pag-evaluate ng mga programang nais naming ilunsad,” Rivera stressed. 

(The ability to communicate and realize the agenda that represents the perspective and voice of women is important–be it in the aspect of planning, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating programs.)

The collective event serves as the first series of the Open Government and Participatory Governance Forum for 2024 in line with the National Women’s Month Celebration (NWMC). 

A total of 800 in-person representatives from local government units (LGUs), barangays, and civil society organizations (CSOs) participated in the forum as partners in resilience-building. 

Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Deputy Director-General for Regional Operations Adolfo Ares P. Gutierrez, who is concurrently serving as the Chairperson of the Gender and Development (GAD) Focal Point System-Technical Working Group (FPS-TWG), also graced the forum to support the advancement of women's inclusion in disaster risk reduction. 

Individually, women grow and go against the flow but when brought together, they prosper and empower. 

By enabling women to play a pivotal role in driving initiatives towards disaster resilience, we are not only empowering women alone–we are also shaping resilient families, households, and communities. (JMP/PIA-NCR)