MAKATI CITY, Philippines— Representatives from civil society organizations (CSOs), non-government organizations (NGOs), and government agencies convened in an information session on the Global Shield against Climate Risks to highlight the critical role of CSOs in climate and disaster financing in the Philippines on April 14, 2025. The session was organized by the Global Shield Secretariat, Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC), and Start Network, co-organized and with the support from Philippine Department of Finance (DOF).

The session provided a deep dive on the Global Shield against Climate Risks, a joint initiative of the Vulnerable 20 Group of Finance Ministers (V20) and the Group of Seven Leaders (G7), emphasizing the role of CSOs in climate and disaster risk financing in the Philippines.

Director John Adrian M. Narag of the DOF delivered remarks on behalf of Finance Chief of Staff and Undersecretary Maria Luwalhati C. Dorotan-Tiuseco, emphasizing the importance of multi-stakeholder action.

“Climate action is an integral part of our national strategies. We recognize that the government cannot do this alone. It has been tested that cultivating relationships with other stakeholders, such as CSOs and even non-government organizations, would provide us with more delivery mechanisms in advancing the role of the Department of Finance in climate finance mobilization,” Narag said.

Nilesh Prakash, Co-Director for Strategy & Engagement of the Global Shield Secretariat, affirmed the Philippine government’s commitment in developing innovative solutions to tackle the climate crisis, “With the Global Shield, we are eager to address key financial protection gaps and we are proud to support the Department of Finance in its efforts to combat climate shocks and disasters.”

The panel discussion presented the shared perspectives of government and CSO representatives on their role in climate and disaster risk financing in the Philippines, highlighting strategic lessons drawn from scientific and practical experience in mitigating against climate risks.

Narag also discussed that the DOF promotes an enabling environment to involve key agents through the Inter-agency Task Force for Sustainable Finance, underscoring the importance of collaboration between stakeholders to “come up with a cohesive and strategic framework to capture the actions that enable a whole-of-society approach.”

Dr. Maria Isabel B. Lanada, Director IV of the Disaster Response Management Bureau, Philippine Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), presented the Project Local Adaptation to Water Access (LAWA) and Breaking Insufficiency through Nutritious Harvest for the Impoverished (BINHI) program, one of the department’s development projects that is adaptive and shock responsive. Project LAWA at BINHI aims to combat hunger, alleviate poverty, and decrease economic vulnerabilities of the communities by addressing water scarcity and food insecurity exacerbated by climate change and disasters.

Danica Marie Supnet, ICSC’s Director for Climate Policy, discussed the Multi-Actor Partnership on Climate and Disaster Risk Finance and Insurance (MAP-CDRFI), which aims to ensure equitable access to inclusive CDRFI mechanisms by involving public and private sectors, CSOs, and the academe.

“Through [MAP-CDRFI], we hope to further advocate for inclusive communities and informed financial protection systems, particularly looking at how entities, especially at the local and national level, prioritize the voices of vulnerable groups and local implementers in shaping our CDRFI strategy,” Supnet explained.

Representatives from the Global Shield Secretariat, Janina Voss, Jonathan Auer, and Amit Kumar Garg, also stressed the role of CSOs in representing communities affected by disasters and ensuring that solutions are objective and effective. Additionally, Auer highlighted the benefits of CSO participation in the Global Shield In-Country Process, including access to resources, technical assistance, and funding.

Arvin Caro, Start Network’s Country Crisis Financing Advisor for the Philippines, emphasized the urgency of pre-arranged disaster financing, “Pre-financing for climate and disaster risk not only makes sense, but it is necessary to push for a sustainable and resilient economy. There are many in-country-led processes in synergy, both by the Global Shield, the Philippine government, and civil societies that are taking place, which follow a bottom-up model. We have heard strategies and plans that enable multi-stakeholder participation.”

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About Global Shield

Launched at COP27 by the Vulnerable Twenty (V20) Group and the Group of Seven (G7), the Global Shield against Climate Risks aims to increase protection for vulnerable people and countries and contribute to effectively responding to loss and damage from climate change.

About Start Network

Start Network is made up of 134 non-governmental organisations across six continents, ranging from large international organisations to local and national NGOs. In the Philippines, Start Network connects multidisciplinary experts on disaster risk, forecasting, and crisis anticipation to complement the work of humanitarian communities.

About ICSC

The Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities is a Philippine-based non-governmental organization that advances climate, energy, and low-carbon solutions to enable fair and climate-resilient development at the national and international levels.

PHOTOS

Info session photos can be accessed here.
Photos (c) Sean Gabriel Algar/ICSC

CONTACT

Sanafe Marcelo, ICSC: media@icsc.ngo, +63968 886 3466
Pauline Alvarez, ICSC: media@icsc.ngo, +63999 338 9414
Arvin Caro, Start Network: arvin.caro@startnetwork.org, +63920 901 8772

Note: This activity is supported by the Multi-Actor Partnerships on Climate and Disaster Risk Financing and Insurance in the context of the InsuResilience Global Partnership (MAP-CDRFI), a global project led by civil society organizations from Sri Lanka, Malawi, Madagascar, Senegal, the Philippines, the Caribbean, and Germany. It is funded by the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and coordinated by CARE Germany, Germanwatch, and the Munich Climate Insurance Initiative (MCII).

ICSC is the main implementer of MAP-CDRFI in the Philippines.