On March 4, 2026, the Climate Resilience Multi-Stakeholder Forum was convened at Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria, bringing together representatives from national government agencies, local government units, humanitarian organizations, development partners, and climate institutions. Organized in partnership with the Philippine Red Cross, Plan International Pilipinas, and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the forum introduced the Z Zurich Climate Resilience Alliance (ZCRA) Philippines program and sought to strengthen shared understanding of climate risks and their localized impacts. The event also aimed to foster cross-sectoral dialogue, identify policy gaps in integrating resilience into development planning and governance frameworks, and formalize institutional collaboration through the signing of the Terms of Reference among PLAN, PRC, and IFRC. Among the attendees was Dr. Carlos Primero D. Gundran and Maria Regina L.M. Jimenez.
The central highlight of the forum was the keynote address delivered by Dr. Carlos Primero D. Gundran, who emphasized the Philippines’ heightened exposure to climate-related hazards such as flooding and extreme heat and framed climate change as a systemic risk affecting infrastructure, livelihoods, health systems, and governance structures. He underscored the need for multidisciplinary and multisectoral approaches, advocating for the integration of probabilistic risk assessments, open data systems, and risk-informed decision-making into local development planning processes. Dr. Gundran stressed that resilience must be community-centered, science-based, and institutionally embedded, ensuring that humanitarian response mechanisms are aligned with long-term climate adaptation and governance reforms. His keynote provided a strategic and policy-oriented lens that connected technical climate science with actionable pathways for national and local implementation.
The forum concluded with a panel discussion featuring representatives from the Climate Change Commission, the Department of the Interior and Local Government, the Office of Civil Defense, and the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, who reinforced the importance of mainstreaming climate resilience into local planning instruments and strengthening coordination between national and local levels. The ceremonial signing of the Terms of Reference formalized the Country Coordination Mechanism under the ZCRA Philippines initiative, marking a significant step toward sustained, evidence-based, and community-driven climate resilience efforts across the country.
