The city council passed Resolution 593, s. 2023 authorizing Mayor Benjamin Magalong to enter into a memorandum of agreement with the Adventist Development and Relief Agency Deutschland E.V.; Adventist Development and Relief Agency Foundation, Inc.; Jaime V. Ongpin Foundation Inc.; and the Center for Development Programs in Cordillera Inc. for the implementation of the Resilience, Innovation, Sustainability and Empowerment (RISE)-Benguet project in the city.
The measure stated the RISE Project is a continuum, drawing from the success and lessons of prior initiatives disaster risk reduction and management and climate change adaptation and mitigation climate risk governance.
It seeks to deepen, sharpen further, and escalate the role of civil society organizations specifically in Baguio City, La Trinidad, Itogon, Sablan, Tuba and Tublay or BLISTT and the promotion of a resilient agenda.
“This initiative stands aligned with the overarching objective to enhance the resilience of communities facing risks, empowering them to adapt, mitigate, and effectively manage the consequences of disaster and climate change,” the resolution stated.
It added the enhancement, in turn, hinges on the active engagement of CSOs in public decision-making processes and the cultivation of robust social accountability mechanisms.
The MOA will be submitted to the city council for confirmation. – Gaby B. Keith
