BAGUIO CITY(PIA) — Communities of the City of Baguio and the nearby municipalities of Benguet are expected to enhance their disaster risk management and at the same time mitigate impacts of climate change thru a project dubbed RISE Project or the Resilience, Innovation, Sustainability, and Empowerment Project.
The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), Center for Development Programs in Cordillera (CDPC) and the Jaime V. Ongpin Foundation(JVOFI) recently launched the RISE Benguet Project which would be implemented in the BLISTT areas composed of Baguio City and the municipalities of La Trinidad, Itogon, Sablan, Tuba and Tublay.
Project Manager Levy Gutierrez said the RISE Benguet project aims to improve the resilience of at-risk communities to manage the disaster risk, adapt and mitigate the adverse impacts of climate change by strengthening civil society organizations’ engagement in public-decision making process, social accountability, disaster risk reduction and management and climate change adaptation and mitigation.
The project funded by the European Union is a three-year project which will be implemented in partnership with the local government units, government line agencies and the civil society organizations.
The project offers capacity building to the CSOs in the local governing councils of BLISTT on community-based DRRM and CCAM local governance processes, organizational development and strengthening activities.
The launching was led by the RISE Benguet Project Team with the representatives from the EU, ADRA, CPDC and the JVOFI who presented messages thru video presentations.
Also present are Itogon Mayor Bernard Waclin, Sablan Mayor Alfredo Dacumos Jr., League of the Municipalities of the Philippines – Benguet President and Tublay Mayor Armando Lauro, Benguet Board Member Alexander Fianza and representatives from the LGUs of Benguet, Baguio City, and La Trinidad.
The local officials expressed gratitude to the funding agency and partner organizations for choosing their localities for the RISE project. They expressed hope that this project would be expanded to the other towns of Benguet that are also in need of support to further enhance their DRRM programs and be more resilient and prepared for calamities.
The activity was capped by the pledge of commitment signing, a celebratory toast and a unity dance led by the Onjon ni Ivadoy. **JDP/RMC- PIA CAR
