The Climate Change Commission (CCC), led by Vice Chairperson and Executive Director Robert E.A. Borje, highlights aligning priorities and local plans in the Mindanao Partners’ Forum and Landscape Workshop, a preparatory consultation of the Transformative Actions for Climate and Ecological Protection and Development (TRANSCEND) project designed to raise ambition and align with both international and national climate and biodiversity agendas through local implementation in selected sites.

CAGAYAN DE ORO – The Climate Change Commission (CCC) underscored the importance of deepening collaboration and further strengthening governance across national agencies and local governments to build climate-resilient communities during the Mindanao Partners’ Forum and Landscape Workshop.

Held in partnership with the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) in the Philippines under the Transformative Actions for Climate and Ecological Protection and Development (TRANSCEND) Project, the meeting reviewed the Assessment of Agency Accomplishments to the NAP (2023–2024) and aligned next steps for the development of the NAP Gender Action Plan.

In his welcome remarks, CCC Vice Chairperson and Executive Director Robert E.A. Borje emphasized shared responsibility in climate action, noting that effective responses hinge on strong multisectoral efforts and collaborative governance that translate national frameworks into concrete, lived realities on the ground.

“Real climate action does not take root when systems are trapped in survival mode. It takes root when adaptation priorities are reflected in local investment plans, when biodiversity is treated as infrastructure, and when climate action is understood as part of development, not outside it.”

Citing the NAP, Borje noted that Mindanao is projected to experience some of the highest increases in temperature, yet remains one of the country’s most solution-rich landscapes, with ecosystems that continue to protect lowland cities and support livelihoods.

“This is where TRANSCEND becomes relevant, not as another project layered on top of existing work, and not as a separate system to comply with, but as a way of connecting efforts that are already happening on the ground,” he said. “National frameworks provide direction, but feasibility, legitimacy, and durability are built locally.

Borje further underscored the vital role of development partners in strengthening the country’s climate resilience through capacitating the groundwork.

“For our implementing partners, this work goes beyond delivering activities. It is about helping local governments navigate complexity. Aligning climate, biodiversity, livelihoods, and finance in ways that make sense on the ground. The real measure of success is whether LGUs are left stronger and more capable at the end,” he added.

The Mindanao leg highlighted ongoing and planned initiatives across the landscape, including ecosystem restoration, sustainable land use, climate-smart livelihoods, and institutional capacity-building for local government units (LGUs). It also served as a platform for gathering inputs from local stakeholders to ensure that project implementation reflects local realities and development priorities.

The ongoing series of forums and landscape workshops serves as a venue for consultation and knowledge exchange among national government agencies, local government units (LGUs), development partners, and other stakeholders, as preparations continue toward the full operationalization of TRANSCEND.

The CCC reiterated its commitment to a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach, emphasizing that climate resilience can only be achieved through sustained cooperation among national agencies, LGUs, communities, and development partners.

The Mindanao Partners’ Forum forms part of a series of subnational engagements under TRANSCEND aimed at strengthening coordination, building trust, and accelerating climate and biodiversity action across key landscapes in the country. Ultimately, this will support a just transition toward a climate-resilient, low-carbon, and biodiversity-friendly Philippines.

For more information on the CCC’s climate mainstreaming programs and partnerships, visit www.climate.gov.ph and www.facebook.com/CCCPhl.