Following the support from UN-Habitat’s global and regional initiatives including the Sustainable Cities Programme – Asia, UN-Habitat in 2003 established its country office in the Philippines to support the government in building sustainable, safe, inclusive, and resilient cities and human settlements in the country. Since then, various programs and projects have been implemented and are sustained through partnerships with national and local governments, the academe, civil society, private sector, and communities.
Building on the past two decades, UN-Habitat Philippines continues to strengthen its knowledge base, experience, expertise, and partnerships in localizing global development goals with focus on slum upgrading and secure tenure, urban planning and design, national urban policy, climate change adaptation and mitigation, recovery and rebuilding of disaster-affected communities.
1998
The Sustainable Cities Programme/LA21 Programme in the Philippines was started in 1998 by UN-Habitat in collaboration with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. The project helped cities in localizing the Environmental Planning and Management (EPM) approach and supported the decentralization efforts of the Department by creating City Environment and Natural Resource Offices
Support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) enabled the application and adaptation of the EPM approach in three demonstration cities: Lipa, Tagbilaran, and Cagayan de Oro.
2001
The twin campaigns of Good Urban Governance and Secure Tenure, initiated by the UN-Habitat Regional Office for Asia and Pacific in partnership with UNDP Office, were launched in the Philippines. The campaigns advocated for sustainable urban development and advanced the Habitat Agenda in national development.
2003
UN-Habitat was formally established in the Philippines, spearheading urban agenda initiatives in the country.
2004-2008
Localizing the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
Key localities in the country established operational mechanisms to promote local action for achieving the MDGs to reduce poverty and foster democratic governance by institutionalizing good governance reforms and practices.
- Twelve cities completed the preliminary cycle of localizing the MDGs through the Local Intergovernmental Actions for Integrated and Innovative Solutions Towards Attaining the Millennium Development Goals (Local GAINS for the MDGs) Project.
- Local reforms for improving governance were promoted through the MEET the MDG Targets project (Mitigating the Effects of External Threats to the MDGs through Rights-based Reforms in Governance for Greater Equity, Transparency, and Sustainability). Highly vulnerable to disasters, LGUs were equipped to overcome obstacles that would slow down the implementation of their MDG targets.
- Through the Citizens Action and Local Leadership to Achieve the MDGs in 2015 (CALL 2015) Project, people’s participation and local leadership were harnessed in partner cities to promote the achievement of MDG targets in partnership with government.
- Family-Based Actions for Children and Their Environs in the Slums (FACES) project emphasized that the MDGs can only be considered successful if lives of the most disadvantaged, like families living in the slums, were improved. The important role and participation of families, especially women, in setting targets, identifying solutions, and acting to address their MDG gaps were harnessed to achieve transformation at the household level.
2005-2007
Campaigning for secure urban tenure in urban poor communities
LGUs, urban poor communities, and homeowners’ associations in key cities were empowered to develop shelter upgrading plans and livelihoods for capital investment financing under the IMPACT project (Integrated Approaches to Poverty Reduction at the Neighborhood Level – A Cities Without Slums Initiative) supported by the Cities Alliance.
The IMPACT project focused on Institution Building/Capacity Building for LGUs and CBOs in the areas of asset-based and participatory city shelter strategy formulation, project development and financing, livelihood support, and policy learning. The project assisted LGUs and CBOs in accessing funding from DBP for shelter development and upgrading through the financing facility from the Development of Poor Urban Communities Sector Project of ADB, HUDCC, and DBP.
2008-2013
Initiating climate change work for urban development
UN-Habitat’s work on climate began with the Cities and Climate Change Initiative in Asia and the Pacific. This prompted the support for Sorsogon City under the Strengthening Philippine City Capacities to Address Climate Change Impacts project. As a demonstration site, Sorsogon was able to design social and institutional climate infrastructures, pilot climate change adaptation and mitigation initiatives, and codify adaptation options for vulnerable human settlements.
Working with the national government and other UN agencies in the country under the MDGF 1565 Joint Programme, UN-Habitat supported the climate change demonstrations actions in human settlements showcasing “Designing and Building with Nature: Showcasing a Climate Resilient Urban Coastal Settlement”.
Tools, approaches, and processes to mainstream climate change in the CLUP and CDP were developed, in partnership with DILG and HLURB/HUDCC (now DHSUD), further improving the Rationalized Planning Process.
2011-2013
Facilitating cities’ access to finance
UN-Habitat, in partnership with ADB, supported the Cities Development Initiative for Asia to bridge the gap between city plans and financing. The project supported city partners to apply City Investment Project Prioritization tools and develop Pre-Feasibility Studies (PFS) to facilitate access to urban finance. UN-Habitat focused on building the capacities of National Partner Organizations including DILG in the Philippines, to support cities in the preparation of PFS.
2012-2015
Promoting sustainable urban development
In partnership with the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council, national urban policies like the NUDHF and LSP were reviewed and improved. The cities of Iloilo, Silay, Cagayan de Oro, and Zamboanga built capacities on city extension planning, showcasing urban planning processes and techniques by combining urban design, legal frameworks, and urban economy and finance towards compact and integrated cities. These were made possible through the Achieving Sustainable Urban Development (ASUD) Project.
2013-2015
Building back better and safer after Haiyan (Yolanda)
Tacloban City, Ormoc City, and the Municipality of Guiuan formulated their Recovery and Rehabilitation Plans with support from the Time-Critical Support to LGUs to Plan Recovery and Support Settlement Restoration After Typhoon Yolanda, a project in partnership with UNDP.
The Post-Yolanda Support for Safer Homes and Settlements project in the provinces of Capiz and Iloilo accelerated the recovery of 28 communities; 660 households in Capiz and Iloilo were provided resilient shelter; 323 semi-skilled artisans received training to upgrade their construction and DRR skills; 28 communities have 54 improved community facilities; 4,594 households were assessed by the House Assessment Guiders; and increased awareness for building back better safer at national and local level.
Strengthened resiliency and safety in urban informal settlements in the cities of Pasay, Mandaluyong, Quezon, Tacloban, Ormoc, and the municipality of Guiuan, Eastern Samar. Through a partnership agreement with UNICEF under the Safe and Friendly Cities for All Programme, the capacities of cities, CSOs, and other stakeholders on safety and resilience were improved to promote violence prevention and decrease vulnerability to disasters particularly affecting informal settler families.
2015-2022
Promoting climate change actions and urban resilience
Through the Vertical Integration and Learning for Low Emission Development (V-LED) Project, sub-national and national government local climate action planning, coordination and implementation capacities prompted actions contributing to the achievement of national climate-resilient low-carbon targets and priorities.
Under the Building Climate Resiliency Through Urban Plans and Designs (BCRUPD), the Philippine government and partner cities (Angeles, Cagayan de Oro, Legazpi, Ormoc, and Tagum) promoted climate-responsive sustainable urban development plans and designs. DHSUD and other national government agencies strengthened their capacities to integrate climate resilience building in human settlement planning and urban management including green recovery from COVID-19 pandemic impacts. The Resilient and Green Human Settlements Framework was formulated under this project.
Climate change was mainstreamed in the NUDHF to ensure that climate actions are integrated into national and local urban development strategies.
2018-2022
Utilizing the People’s Process for post-conflict recovery and resettlement
The Rebuilding Marawi through Community-driven Shelter and Livelihood Project built a total of 1000 permanent homes for families displaced by the Marawi siege in 2017. The People’s Process approach empowered families and communities to lead their recovery from site planning to the actual construction of houses while integrating key components of peace and development, livelihood, gender, and environmental and social safeguards in the Bangsamoro and Maranao context.
2020-2023
Reducing marine plastic litter for improved urban environment
Through the Healthy Oceans and Clean Cities Initiative (HOCCI), six partner cities (Cagayan de Oro, Calapan, Davao, Legazpi, Manila, and Ormoc) localized the National Plan of Action on Marine Litter through their respective City Plans of Action on Marine Litter. LGUs initiated local marine litter reduction projects as people’s organizations and social enterprises were capacitated to implement the plans and establish technologies and mechanisms in preparation for the implementation of the Extended Producer’s Responsibility Act.
2021 to present
Expanding the climate resilience work with local governments
UN-Habitat continues to expand its work across different levels of local governments.
UN-Habitat implemented the Provincial Climate Risk Diagnostics (PCRD) Project which developed a tool for provincial resilience planning particularly aiding LGUs in risk-informed planning, decision-making, and investment programming.
UN-Habitat is also a partner in the UNDP-led consortium for the Strengthening Institutions and Empowering Localities Against Disasters and Climate Change (SHIELD) Program which supports 11 provinces, BARMM, and Metro Manila in accelerating resilience-building through collaborative partnerships, risk-based planning, value-chain interventions, and business continuity measures.
In partnership with Surigao del Norte and Surigao City, UN-Habitat also launched the Huy-anan nan Badjao sa Surigao project to benefit the Badjao community affected by Typhoon Rai in 2021. The project is also tagged as “Supporting Blue-Green Recovery, Strengthening Resilience, and Promoting Sustainable Growth in Philippine Cities and Communities through Nature-Based Solutions and Circular Economy”.
UN-Habitat's work in the Philippines
Our journey
In this video, we share our thoughts and stories on UN-Habitat’s two-decade journey in the Philippines.
Project Partners
