Southeast Asia civil society spurs regional cooperation on Climate and Disaster Risk Financing
Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities PRESS RELEASE BANGKOK, THAILAND, 22 May 2026 — As climate and disaster risks continue to intensify across Southeast Asia, regional stakeholders explore a more coordinated approach to Climate and Disaster Risk Finance and Insurance (CDRFI), following the conclusion of the Multi-Actor Partnership on Climate and Disaster Risk Finance and Insurance (MAP-CDRFI) Southeast Asia Workshop convened by the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC) on May 20-21, 2026. “Climate and disaster risks in Southeast Asia are becoming more frequent, more complex, and more costly, with vulnerable communities bearing the heaviest impacts,” stressed ICSC [...]
ICSC on PHL energy emergency: Resilience must be a long-term anchor, empower LGUs to advance solutions
Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities REACTIVE QUEZON CITY, 25 March 2026 – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed Executive Order (EO) No. 110 yesterday, declaring a state of national energy emergency as impacts of the US-Israel war on Iran threaten the availability and stability of the country’s energy supply. EO 110 adopts the Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport (UPLIFT), the Philippine government’s coordinated response framework. Its implementation will be under the oversight of the UPLIFT Committee, which will be chaired by the President and joined by the Executive Secretary and the Secretaries of the Department of [...]
Beyond Fare Hikes: Investing in Affordable and Inclusive Mobility in the Philippines
by: Arielle Celine Tabinga EDITOR’S NOTE: Arielle Celine Tabinga is the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities’ Manager for Urban Development. This piece reflects her insights from the panel discussion Driving Action for Clear Skies: Inclusive Transport and Community-Led Clean Air Innovations in Southeast Asia and India, a pre-event session organized by the Clean Mobility Collective Southeast Asia, held ahead of the 12th Better Air Quality Conference (BAQ 2026) in Bangkok, Thailand on March 9. When fares increase, people adjust in different ways. Some reduce travel altogether. Workers with flexible arrangements may shift to remote work, cut down on [...]
Of pens and fisherfolks’ tales: Narratives of the sea as told by young writers
by Anton Onato Editor’s Note: Anton is a communications officer of ICSC. He joined the two-day writing workshop entitled “Dagat-Bohol: Life and Livelihood of Fishing Reciprocal” in Jagna, Bohol last December 28-29, 2023, with local fisherfolk and young writers of Bohol. The final days of the year are usually considered a time of rest. While ICSC’s holiday break began mid-December, my plans of rest were disrupted for a few days as I was asked by Jo, our Communications Director, to join a two-day writing workshop in Jagna, Bohol, Cebu. The workshop aimed to bring together students and [...]
RE storage now a reality, private sector urged to invest
QUEZON CITY, November 26, 2022 – As renewable energy (RE) technologies have become more efficient and affordable, the reality of energy storage systems (ESS) fills the gap that constrains the increase of RE's share in the power generation mix of the Philippines. With ESS, the variability of RE becomes a non-issue and 24/7 power with renewables is now possible. This was the clarion call issued yesterday by leading business analysts tracking energy trends in the country and Southeast Asia. “Developers recognize that they have to place their bets today. Coal is out of the picture in the next five to [...]