Hitting two birds with one stone. Climate Change Commission Secretary Mary Ann Lucille L. Sering (3rd from right) signs the Memorandum of Understanding together with Vice- Governor Ramil Gentuya (2nd from right) representing Governor Arturo Uy of Compostela Valley and Governor Corazon Malanyaon of Davao Oriental (4th from right). The agreement seeks to strengthen the capability of the two provinces in formulating their respective disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation-enhanced plans through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)- Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) supported project “Enabling Regions 10 and 11 to Cope with Climate Change" or Project Climate Twin Phoenix.

In order to prevent a repeat of the catastrophic event that hit the provinces of Davao Oriental and Compostela Valley, the Climate Change Commission, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) are going to extend assistance to the two provinces to strengthen their capability in formulating their respective disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation-enhanced plans.

The heads of the two provincial governments requested assistance on how they can ably prepare for and reduce disaster risks from , climate-induced natural hazards such as Typhoon Pablo. The UNDP-AusAID supported project “Enabling Regions 10 and 11 to Cope with Climate Change" or Project Climate Twin Phoenix, which is being implemented by the Commission and was initially intended to help the Typhoon Sendong-affected cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan in Region X, will now be providing support to the affected provinces of Davao Oriental and Compostela Valley in Region XI.

The move shows UNDP’s and AusAID’s committment to assist the Philippine government in mainstreaming disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation into national and local planning and regulatory processes.

Commission Vice Chair Mary Ann Lucille L. Sering explained that the Project will extend technical assistance in enhancing the two provincial governments’ multi-hazard maps, in coordination with the other agencies such as Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) and Project NOAH (Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards), taking into consideration the climate change projections.

“The enhanced multi-hazard maps will guide the local government units in identifying “no build zones” and “build-up areas,” updating of contingency plans, and instituting effective early warning systems and moving toward risk-based development and land use planning for the long-term,” Sering explained.

“We see the occurrence of extreme weather events in the future as a result of a rapidly changing climate. We should prepare our communities against these events by mainstreaming DRR/CCA into relevant planning and decision-making processes from the national to the city/municipality levels,” she added.

The Memorandum of Understanding formalizing the agreement was signed February 4, 2013 in Davao City by Secretary Sering, Governor Arturo Uy of Compostela Valley and Governor Corazon Malanyaon of DavaoOriental.

Those who witnessed the signing were Ambassador Bill Twedell of Australia, Luiza Carvalho, UNDP Resident Representative and Toshihiro Tanaka, Country Director of UNDP in the Philippines.

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February 04, 2012