Maguindanao Del Norte, Philippines — With the support of the Australian Government, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Provincial Government of Maguindanao Del Norte inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to formalize their partnership on institutional and community resilience under the Strengthening Institutions and Empowering Localities Against Disasters and Climate Change (SHIELD) Programme.

At the Office of the Provincial Governor in Cotabato City, UNDP Philippines Resident Representative Dr. Selva Ramachandran and Provincial Governor Abdulraof A. Macacua jointly signed the MOU that aims to enhance the province's disaster resilience and reduce its vulnerability to climate. The ceremony was witnessed by Dr. Ibrahim Ibay, Deputy Minister of Interior and Local Government, along with the representatives from the provincial government planning and disaster risk reduction and management departments.

Maguindanao Del Norte—and the broader Bangsamoro region—faces numerous vulnerabilities. This province has experienced extreme weather events, such as prolonged dry spells, droughts, extreme heat, and heavy precipitation, leading to devastating floods and landslides. It is also prone to flooding, particularly in the SPMS Box area, which is affected by annual flooding due to heavy rains. Additionally, the province is affected by conflicts and environmental degradation caused by logging and kaingin farming. This makes the region highly susceptible to the impacts of extreme weather events and pose challenges to the development and resilience of the communities.

The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) is a valued and strategic partner of UNDP Philippines in the fields of peacebuilding, sustainable development, and resilience. The SHIELD Programme targets to deepen this collaboration, and to foster robust development in BARMM by reinforcing institutional and community resilience. 

UNDP Resident Representative Dr. Selva Ramachandran highlighted UNDP’s commitment to supporting the province’s positive development, noting that: “UNDP has a long-standing relationship with BARMM, and this signing is one element of our larger partnership. We have seen all the positive developments in BARMM, and we want to continue supporting that positive progress.” 

The collaboration, spearheaded by UNDP and CBCS, will focus on the Iranun Corridor, comprised of the municipal local governments of Sultan Mastura, Parang, Matanog, Barira, and Buldon in Maguindanao Del Norte. The partnership will provide local institutional capacity support to raise awareness of current and future risks, strengthen capacities to address these risks, establish partnerships for resilience, and foster a supportive policy environment for resilience. UNDP will also support the preparation of a strategic plan for the Iranun Corridor that will capture a common vision for resilience among the five local government units, maximizing development opportunities while mitigating shared risks. 

Governor Abdulraof A. Macacua acknowledged the partnership as a significant step towards a brighter future by saying that: "Today's signing of the MOU with the UNDP for the SHIELD Programme is a crucial step towards safeguarding our communities against the increasing risks posed by climate change and disasters. Let us seize this moment as an opportunity to excel in knowledge and co-create enduring solutions that will stand the test of time. With UNDP's valuable expertise complementing our localized insights, I am confident that we will achieve strides in our joint mission to make the Iranun Corridor safer and more resilient." 

 SHIELD will support the Iranun Corridor by helping them understand and articulate the interrelationship between risks and development priorities, guiding economic development decisions without compounding risk. UNDP will co-create tools and knowledge products such as hazard and risk maps, environmentally critical area maps, and other analyses to support local governments’ decision making, particularly with proposed developments like the relocation of the regional government center, the construction of an airport, and the creation of a halal economic zone. 

This collaboration marks a significant step towards enhancing the resilience and sustainable development of Maguindanao Del Norte and the broader Bangsamoro region. 

SHIELD is a multi-year partnership covering 11 provinces and two regions in the Philippines that are among the most vulnerable to disasters and climate change impacts. It is implemented by the UNDP Philippines, the consortium partners: Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), National Resilience Council (NRC), Consortium of Bangsamoro Civil Society (CBCS), and United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN Habitat), together with government partners: Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Office of the Civil Defense (OCD), and Department of Science and Technology (DOST), with generous support from the Australian Government. [E]