THE World Bank and the government are allotting $874.35 million for the Philippines Community Resilience Project, also known as Pagkilos, an initiative aimed at reducing the vulnerability of approximately 18 million Filipino households to natural disasters.
Pagkilos will focus on community-led planning and infrastructure investments by engaging communities in identifying climate and natural hazard risks, which will be used to develop comprehensive plans.
The plans will receive implementation grants that prioritize resilient community infrastructure and sustainable livelihoods.
The infrastructure includes those designed for flood and drought mitigation, landslide and slope protection, surge protection and breakwaters and windbreakers. Investments will also include the repair and retrofitting of existing structures.
The project will also support nature-based solutions such as agroforestry, community forests, erosion control, marshes, water conservation, waterways and wetlands. It will promote climate-smart farming innovations and small-scale irrigation systems to establish good practices and more resilient livelihoods.
Pagkilos will prioritize 500 climate-vulnerable municipalities in 49 provinces, to be chosen based on poverty incidence and exposure to climate hazards.
The World Bank said the project would focus on inclusive and equitable resilience efforts, specifically targeting members of vulnerable populations such as Indigenous peoples, women and beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) — a conditional cash transfer program directed at alleviating poverty by investing in the beneficiaries’ health and education.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development will lead project implementation.
The World Bank said the project was crucial as the Philippines is particularly disaster-prone, ranking at the top of the World Risk Index due to its exposure to typhoons, floods, droughts, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions.
In 2023, typhoons and floods accounted for 2.1 million out of the 2.6 million disaster-related displacements in the country.
“By empowering local communities to take the lead in building resilience against climate change and disaster risks, the Philippines is not only addressing immediate environmental challenges but also fostering a culture of proactive engagement and resilience,” said Zafer Mustafaoglu, World Bank division director for the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei.
“Ensuring community capacity and opportunity for participating in resilience planning is critical as communities are on the frontlines of climate and natural hazard risks,” added World Bank senior social development specialist Ditte Marie Fallesen.
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