QUEZON CITY, Philippines (October 30, 2021)—A new online platform launched today is set to bring people and their communities together in a bid to make cities more livable and loveable through citizen participation. Launched at the eve of World Cities Day 2021, the Climate and Pandemic Response Portal, spearheaded by Greenpeace Philippines, is an online interactive platform that allows citizens, LGUs and MSMEs to collaboratively address pressing urban issues magnified by the climate and COVID pandemic crises.
The portal was launched in an online event in partnership with Malabon Councilor Nadja Vicencio, San Juan City, AKLAT Foundation, DepEd Malabon, and local community and business leaders. The theme of World Cities Day 2021 is “Adapting Cities for Climate Resilience.”
“The best adaptive strategy for the climate and pandemic crisis is to increase the capacity of our communities by strengthening their solidarity,” said Greenpeace Campaigner Rhea Jane Pescador-Mallari. “Wisdom from the lived experiences of citizens and their social ties and networks are what build a city’s resilience, but unfortunately, their stories of hope and resilience are not always surfaced. By gathering their stories, this portal puts a spotlight on citizen-led solutions already present in different localities, and encourages LGUs to recognize and amplify these solutions.”
The stories will appear publicly on the interactive Climate and Pandemic Stories Map, alongside important data on flooding, other climate risks and hotspots, locations of evacuation centers, and COVID-19 hotspots in various cities. This encourages citizens, businesses, and LGUs to view climate change and the pandemic as coexisting crises that must be addressed together. The platform also features the Sustainable Solutions for Better Cities Map, which enables users to find local businesses and other community initiatives they can support in their vicinity.
By encouraging Filipinos to share their stories while presenting them with relevant information about their respective localities, the portal bridges the gap between data science and citizen science in urban resilience.
“(With this tool), we can share our success stories pinned in a virtual map, solutions, or best practices ng ating mga community or groups In order to overcome life’s challenges and interactively view all efforts ng government and non-government entities in addressing climate change and the pandemic,” Councilor Vicencio said.
“The Climate and Pandemic Response Portal is very helpful for the participants and us, the end-users, as we navigate in a world currently being challenged by the pandemic and climate change,” said San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora. “May this endeavor grow and foster environmental protection, as we move forward to a livable, loveable, and climate-responsive city.”
During the event, barangay leaders, community representatives, the youth, as well as micro, small, & medium enterprises (MSMEs) shared their own stories of resilience and solutions during the climate and pandemic crises.
“(When) we found out na kulang yung platform or walang platform para makapag-contribute ang kabataan sa nation-building and development, we decided to establish Cagayan Volunteers Initiative (CaVolun),” said John Erwin Larosa, a member of We The Future PH. Following Typhoon Ulysses, CaVolun started a massive relief and recovery operation in Cagayan province, which distributed almost 3 million worth of relief packages across 18 municipalities, and helping around 5,000-7,000 families.
“(The platform is) a wonderful opportunity to highlight certain points and parts of our society that need more attention. This portal will be our way of educating ourselves and of making ourselves aware of the things na hindi natin alam na nasa tabi lang pala natin,” said Emmanuel Baylosis of Renacimiento Manila, a budding creatives heritage organization for urban renewal which has been active in promoting the rich heritage of Pasig River as part of the #NoToPAREX movement.
Apart from the portal, Greenpeace is actively working with the aforementioned LGUs on the use of the map and its data , as well as in co-creating green and sustainable disaster risk and reduction (DRR) response, highlighting and supporting community-led initiatives, and promoting local sustainable MSMEs to increase the city’s adaptive capacity.
[1] Climate and Pandemic Response Portal
Media Contact:
Maria Katrina Eusebio, Digital Campaigner
Greenpeace Southeast Asia – Philippines: [email protected] | +63 9992296451