France commits €250 million to support disaster risk reduction enhancement at the local level in the Philippines

The Department of Finance (DOF) of the Republic of the Philippines and the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) have signed a €250 million policy-based loan – approximately ₱14 billion – that is budget support in nature. The Programme covers disaster risk reduction at the local level, as well as disaster preparedness and response.

The Disaster Risk Reduction Enhancement at the Local Level Programme will also support the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) in the process of decentralizing the mandate and services for disaster risk reduction and climate change management to the Local Government Units (LGUs). It will not only help build the capacity of the LGUs but also support ongoing reform programs throughout the country, taking into account the demands of the “new normal” that seeks to address public health emergency concerns, as demonstrated by the COVID-19 experience.

The Programme seeks to support LGUs in a sustainable trajectory, as well as build the resilience of local economies and communities. At the same time, this will limit any damage caused by disasters, reduce post-disaster emergency response time, and make the recovery period more effective.

“We thank the people and the Government of France for this financial assistance meant to scale up the disaster risk management capabilities of our LGUs, ramp up efforts to curtail the spread of COVID 19 and boost the resiliency of our communities in the face of climate change. This will complement our move to shift our focus from theorizing about global warming to executing practical climate adaptation and mitigation projects on the ground,” Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez said.

“This financing agreement highlights the strong partnership between France and a high-risk country like the Philippines on mitigating the adverse impact of climate change, in support of our commitments on climate action under the Paris Agreement,” he added.

“This loan is the result of a long-term partnership with the DILG through the Disaster Risk Management Institutional Strengthening (DRMIS) Project financed by the European Union through the AFD. It aims to further develop our cooperation on disaster risk management and climate change adaptation capacity for a period of three years. It is also in line with France’s commitment to support climate action under the Paris Agreement, in order to help the Philippine Government meet the ambitious targets it set for itself when it submitted its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to the UNFCCC earlier this year,” Laurent Klein, AFD Country Director, said.

French Ambassador Michèle Boccoz stressed that, “Through the AFD, France is truly keen to support the Government of the Philippines in implementing strategic reforms towards climate change mitigation and adaptation, including disaster risk governance at the local level. I commend the Philippine Government for pushing the climate finance and climate justice agenda during the recent COP26, for joining the pledge to halt deforestation, and for pioneering the Energy Transition Mechanism proposed by the ADB to help transition from fossil fuel-powered energy to renewable energy. The ambition is high and France will stand alongside the Philippines to help fulfill these goals.”

-oOo-