Continuing its commitment to strengthening communities, the University of the Philippines (UP) Resilience Institute (UP RI) – Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards (UP NOAH) Center shared its expertise and promoted disaster awareness and resilience among the students and teachers of the National University (NU) Fairview in a National Service Training Program (NSTP) seminar last October 4, 2025.
The seminar is part of their NSTP Talks series and was entitled “Building Resilience: Scientific Explanation to Metro Manila’s Flood Challenges”. It was organized by the NU Fairview Nexus, Community Extension Office, and NSTP Office headed by Mr. Aazin Carl A. Sumalinog, Assistant Director of ComEx-NSTP and NSTP Coordinator, Mr. Mark Philip C. Javier. About 200 students from the College of Engineering and College of Architecture of NU Fairview were present at the event held at the NU Fairview campus.
Ms. Patricia Anne Delmendo, Supervising Science Research Specialist from the Flood Modelling Component (FMC) of UP NOAH, shared a brief history about how the UP NOAH Center became the core component of UP RI and discussed how the UP RI has contributed to disaster resilience in different communities and localities through out the years. She also provided some background on flooding, which began with clear definitions of relevant terms, such as watershed, river basin, and floodplains. She then shared some of the causes of flooding concerns based on the institute’s recent Drainage Master Plan (DMP) project with Quezon City.
Focused on the ongoing flood challenges in Metro Manila, Ms. Delmendo emphasized that real solutions require not only flood control infrastructure but should always consider community engagement, education, and collective responsibility. She also highlighted the importance of data-driven research, grounded in a better understanding of flood risks, and the critical role of preparedness in disaster resilience.
(All Photos courtesy of NU Fairview Nexus)