SHIELD Showcases Innovation in Resilience at the 2025 International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction Exhibit

October 14, 2025
Five people at a SHIELD booth with banners bearing the shield logo.

 

Pasay City, Philippines - As the world marks the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction (IDDRR) 2025, the spotlight turns to the Philippines, a nation on the frontlines of climate change and disasters. This calls for prioritizing investments in disaster risk reduction, particularly investments that can create lasting, transformative change for the communities most vulnerable to the devastating impacts of disasters. 

 

For the fourth consecutive year, the Philippines ranks 1 as the world’s most disaster-prone country, according to the World Risk Index Report 2025. In a country where an average of 20 typhoons strike annually, along with floods, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions, resilience funding has become a critical national priority. With this latest report, the country must rethink its approach to implementing local projects. While we cannot change our geographic location, we can address systemic vulnerabilities by grounding interventions in scientific evidence from upgrading drainage systems and protecting ecosystems, to generating jobs, ensuring business continuity, and securing the nexus of water, health, and food security. 

 

In advocating for disaster risk reduction (DRR) efforts in the country, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Philippines, in partnership with the Australian Government, is implementing the Strengthening Institutions and Empowering Localities Against Disasters and Climate Change (SHIELD) Programme which continues to champion inclusive and evidence-based DRR initiatives. SHIELD is implemented together with consortium and government partners: Consortium of Bangsamoro Civil Society (CBCS), National Resilience Council (NRC), Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Office of Civil Defense (OCD) and Department of Science and Technology (DOST).

 

To mark the IDDRR 2025, UNDP through the SHIELD Programme team joined government agencies, private sector leaders, civil society organizations, and international and local development partners at the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction 2025 Exhibit, held at the Music Hall, SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City. Organized by ARISE Philippines, in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), the event carried this year’s global hashtag: #ResiliencePays.

 

 

Showcasing SHIELD’s Approach to Risk-to-Resilience Investment

 

At the SHIELD booth, we highlight how local insights and resilience stories are shaping innovative approaches to risk-to-resilience investments. Through engaging exhibits and interactive discussions, we showcase multi-stakeholder partnerships and promote locally driven solutions that empower communities to anticipate and reduce risks. The booth features practical tools designed to support local actors and gather valuable stakeholder feedback on key initiatives, including:

 

  • Science-to-Practice platforms that turn hazard and risk data into actionable local plans;

  • Resilience Finance and Investment Preparation Toolkits for climate - and disaster-resilient development projects;

  • LGU Resource Finder, an online consultation template to help LGUs easily access funding windows, technical assistance programs, and resilience-related resources to support risk-informed projects.

 

These materials illustrate SHIELD’s unique model, which combines science-based risk information, governance strengthening, and innovative finance to help local governments and communities shift from reactive spending to strategic investment.

 

“Our participation in IDDRR 2025 reflects SHIELD’s commitment to unlock resilience funding. By equipping local governments and communities with the right tools, data, and partnerships, we help ensure that resilience is a vision and a funded, actionable priority,” said Jacqueline Miel-Soliguin, SHIELD Programme Manager.

 

 

A Platform for Collaboration

 

Beyond showcasing programmes, the IDDRR 2025 Exhibit created space for new partnerships between government, private sector, and development actors to scale up DRR investments. The event also featured the Youth Resilience Relay, which engaged young Filipinos in disaster preparedness and leadership, and the T-Bandage Designing Competition, a creative campaign promoting first-aid awareness.

 

 

By participating in this international observance, SHIELD highlighted how investing in resilience yields significant benefits, including reduced disaster impacts, sustained economic growth, and protection of vulnerable communities.

 

 

The Strengthening Institutions and Empowering Localities Against Disasters and Climate Change (SHIELD) Programme is a multi-year partnership covering ten provinces and two regions in the Philippines that are among the most vulnerable to disasters and climate change impacts. SHIELD is supported by the Australian Government and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Philippines, consortium partners and government partners: Consortium of Bangsamoro Civil Society (CBCS), National Resilience Council (NRC), Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Office of Civil Defense (OCD) and Department of Science and Technology (DOST).