Philippine Resilience Awards convenors meet with the Climate Change Commission Project Management Unit to align on upcoming milestones and field validation plans.

Manila, Philippines — The Climate Change Commission (CCC) led last week's meeting of the Convenors of the Philippine Resilience Awards (PRA), engaging resilience champions and stakeholders across government, civil society, the private sector, and the academe. They gathered to plan ang light the upcoming activities of the awards-giving body, which aims strengthen inclusive and transformative climate and disaster resilience in communities all over the Philippines.

The PRA is co-convened by the CCC in collaboration with the Office of Senator Loren Legarda, Philippine Commission on Women, National Resilience Council, SM Prime, ARISE Philippines, and Women's International Network on Disaster Risk Reduction (WIN DRR) Philippines. It honors outstanding efforts in building safer, stronger, and more sustainable communities while fostering partnerships and promoting scalable, replicable solutions nationwide.

CCC Commissioner Rachel Anne S. Herrera, PRA Co-Convenor, opened the meeting by reaffirming the CCC’s commitment to its catalytic role in empowering local champions.

"Resilience is about anticipating risks, protecting what matters, and transforming how we live and work in a changing climate,” Herrera said. “Through the PRA, the Commission spotlights individuals and organizations, most especially women and youth, who are already taking concrete steps in their communities, inspiring all of us to move forward.”

As part of the ongoing process of organizing the PRA, participants engaged in discussions with the Field Validation and Screening Committee, which is responsible for reviewing and validating submissions from across the country. This dialogue helped ensure that resilience efforts showcased in the awards are grounded in local realities and inclusive of diverse perspectives.

Dr. Teresita Pastor Medado, President of Asia Pacific College and Convenor of WIN DRR, lauded the CCC and its partners for “creating spaces for dialogue and partnership that make sure no one is left behind in our resilience journey.”

The event also highlighted the shared commitment of other key convenors. Mr. Silvestre Z. Barrameda, Jr., Executive Director of the National Resilience Council, stressed the importance of aligning resilience efforts with national and local development plans:

“We need to ensure that resilience-building is integrated into the very fabric of our governance and development planning. The PRA is an excellent platform to showcase what works and inspire more communities to take action.”

Addresing his fellow Convenors, AFP Vice Admiral Alexander Patino Pama (Ret.), PRA Co-Convenor, underscored the need for sustained collaboration: 

“Building resilience is a shared responsibility. The PRA reminds us that together, we can overcome the challenges brought by disasters and climate change.”

Through the PRA, the CCC continues to fulfill its mandate to foster whole-of-society collaboration on resilience, encouraging local governments, grassroots organizations, and institutional partners to work together toward climate-adaptive, disaster-ready communities.