Quezon City joins Resilient Cities Network

MANILA, Philippines —  Quezon City, the country’s most populous city, has joined a network of cities worldwide that work together to build climate-resilient and inclusive cities that are safe and equitable for all.

The local government announced yesterday the city’s membership in the Resilient Cities Network or R-Cities, a leading urban resilience network composed of nearly 100 cities worldwide, including Paris, Cape Town, New York, Rio de Janeiro, Sydney and Singapore.

“Quezon City, like many other cities 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,” Mayor Joy Belmonte said.

“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,” she added.

According to the local government, its membership in the network is part of the city leadership’s commitment to enhance resilience and “accelerate the pace of urban transformation and benefit from the knowledge of resilience practitioners worldwide.”

It expects to benefit from a range of resources, including learning opportunities, technical assistance and capacity building. It will also gain access to knowledge-sharing platforms, communication support and other dedicated tools to bolster its resilience initiatives.

“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,” Lauren Sorkin, executive director of the Resilient Cities Network, said in a statement.

“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,” Sorkin added.

Quezon City currently works with R-Cities on the OASIS Schoolyards program, which seeks 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 improve the learning environment and outcomes for Filipino students while addressing the challenges of climate change.

The city government appointed Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability Department head Andrea Villaroman and Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office officer-in-charge Maria Bianca Perez as co-chief resilience officers.

They were tasked to lead partnerships across city offices, departments and stakeholders to develop and implement comprehensive programs and actions toward community resilience.