Sorsogon, March 12 2010 — Showing that it is serious in pursuing its climate change initiatives, Sorsogon City convened on March 12, 2010 a special session of the Executive-Legislative Assembly (ELA) led by City Mayor Leovic Dioneda and the city councilors to monitor the status of the program and review the proposed demonstration projects developed by four issue working groups (IWGs) that focused on the identified priority issues of environment, shelter, livelihood and disaster risk reduction. This is the second time that the joint ELA was convened for the climate change project. The first time was for the project orientation after which the city formally decided to partner with UN-HABITAT on the project through an agreement of cooperation in April 2009. The Sorsogon demonstration projects are components of the MDG-F 1656: Strengthening the Philippines’ Institutional Capacity to Adapt to Climate Change, an MDG Achievement Fund project funded by the Government of Spain.
Engineer Honore Jordan, Sorsogon City project manager, presented the status and updates on the project. He reported on the successful completion of the city’s vulnerability assessment and the identification of five “hot spot” priority barangays where focused interventions will be implemented. Laids Mamonong, UNH project coordinator for climate change, explained that the demonstration projects were identified through multi-stakeholder consultations and were based on identified priorities. Bearing in mind that demonstration projects provide the means to introduce and experience innovative ideas and approaches and prepare the way for replication and up-scaling, the four IWGs developed projects that were small scale and covering short implementation periods to produce immediate results which the city can learn from.
Showing that it is serious business in pursuing its climate change initiatives, Sorsogon City convened on March 12, 2010 a special session of the Executive-Legislative Assembly (ELA) led by City Mayor Leovic Dioneda and the city councilors to monitor the status of the program and review the proposed demonstration projects developed by four issue working groups (IWGs) that focused on the identified priority issues of environment, shelter, livelihood and disaster risk reduction. This is the second time that the joint ELA was convened for the climate change project. The first time was for the project orientation after which the city formally decided to partner with UN-HABITAT on the project through an agreement of cooperation in April 2009. The Sorsogon demonstration projects are components of the MDG-F 1656: Strengthening the Philippines’ Institutional Capacity to Adapt to Climate Change, an MDG Achievement Fund project funded by the Government of Spain.
Engineer Honore Jordan, Sorsogon City project manager, presented the status and updates on the project. He reported on the successful completion of the city’s vulnerability assessment and the identification of five “hot spot” priority barangays where focused interventions will be implemented. Laids Mamonong, UNH project coordinator for climate change, explained that the demonstration projects were identified through multi-stakeholder consultations and were based on identified priorities. Bearing in mind that demonstration projects provide the means to introduce and experience innovative ideas and approaches and prepare the way for replication and up-scaling, the four IWGs developed projects that were small scale and covering short implementation periods to produce immediate results which the city can learn from.
The UN-HABITAT team led by Eden Garde (HPM for the Philippines), Chris Radford of the Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP) and Bernhard Barth (TCBB in Nairobi) were impressed with the proposals which were developed with the concerted efforts of city stakeholders. They also gave their suggestions for consideration in the further enhancement of the project concepts. Mr. Barth reiterated UN-HABITAT’s support and thanked the city for sustaining and pioneering innovative ways towards making cities climate-resilient.
The city council committed to support the demonstration projects which they will consider in the city’s plans and budget and thanked UN-HABITAT for its continued technical support in realizing a climate-resilient Sorsogon City.
