Quezon City joins the world’s Resilient Cities Network

Quezon City joins the world’s Resilient Cities Network

/ 04:22 PM January 16, 2025

Quezon City, the most populous city in the Philippines with more than 3 million inhabitants, has joined the Resilient Cities Network (R-Cities).

Mayor Joy Belmonte

MANILA, Philippines – Quezon City, the most populous city in the Philippines with more than three million inhabitants, has joined the Resilient Cities Network (R-Cities).

Resilient Cities Network is the world’s leading urban resilience network that includes Paris, Cape Town, New York City, Rio de Janeiro, Sydney, and Singapore.   It brings together global knowledge, practice, partnerships, and funding to empower its members to build safe and equitable cities for all.

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Resilient Cities Network

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The move is a commitment from Mayor Maria  Josefina “Joy” Belmonte  to enhance the resilience of Quezon city that anticipates facing a growing number of shocks and stresses in the coming years including heatwaves, floods, and typhoons, as well as traffic congestion, informal settlements and pollution.

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Signing of the MOU

During the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding

READ: Champion of Change: How Mayor Joy Belmonte is transforming Quezon City

In response to these challenges, the QC LGU  has shown strong leadership in climate change adaptation and resilience,  establishing its Enhanced Local Climate Change Action Plan (LCCAP) and creating the nation’s first dedicated Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability Department.

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“Our city, like many others in the Philippines, is vulnerable to extreme heat, tropical cyclones, and flooding. Unfortunately, these weather  conditions are mostly felt by low-income and vulnerable communities. Since the worsening climate crisis gravely affects lives, health, livelihood, and community, the local government must be at the forefront of efforts to mitigate these impacts and create a sustainable, livable, and resilient city for everyone,” Belmonte said.

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To accelerate the pace of urban transformation and benefit from the knowledge of resilience practitioners worldwide, Quezon City is joining R-Cities – the world’s leading urban resilient network of up to nearly 100 cities across six regions globally.

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R-Cities currently collaborates with the QC LGU on the OASIS Schoolyards program to transform schoolyards into green, multi-use community spaces that are resilient to both heatwaves and flooding.

The initiative, supported by the Temasek Foundation, aims to ultimately improve the learning environment and outcomes for Filipino students while simultaneously addressing the challenges of climate change.

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“After over a year of partnership to transform schoolyards for children and their communities in Quezon City, I am thrilled to be welcoming them to the Resilient Cities Network,” said Lauren Sorkin, Executive Director, Resilient Cities Network.

“The city’s commitment to understanding and managing the city’s shocks and stresses will go a long way to ensuring its residents thrive in the polycrisis reality. We are eager to support them in their resilience journey and connect Quezon City to the Network’s knowledge and members regionally and globally.”

The city has appointed Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability Department (CCESD) Head Andrea Villaroman, and Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO) OIC Maria Bianca Perez as co-Chief Resilience Officers.

Together, they will lead partnerships across city offices, departments, and stakeholders to develop and implement comprehensive programs and actions toward community resilience.

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In the coming months, Quezon City will benefit from a range of resources as an R-Cities member, including learning opportunities, technical assistance, and capacity building. The city will also gain access to knowledge-sharing platforms, communication support, and other dedicated tools to bolster its resilience initiatives.

TAGS: Cities, Quezon City, world

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