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MAKATI CITY – A delegation from Yokohama City of Japan, which hosts a global organization that is a resource center on making cities climate change-resilient, is in the Philippines’ prime financial district, sharing experiences and best practices.
Makati City Councilors and Acting City Administrator Marjorie de Veyra on Thursday welcomed the delegation from Yokohama City, composed of seven city councilors and six businessmen, at the New Makati City Hall.
Yokohama City hosts the headquarters of CITYNET, an organization that works toward solving the common challenges encountered by cities in making the environment livable, sustainable and healthy. Makati is head of the Disaster Cluster of the organization, and Mayor Jejomar Erwin S. Binay is its second Vice President.
In a statement sent from overseas, Binay said that such visit and sharing would boost economic and disaster resiliency capacities and programs of both cities. “We, as Asian cities, need to work together in fighting the devastation climate change is doing to our environment,” the mayor said.
“CITYNET has been at the forefront of the advocacy for making cities disaster resilient for more than two decades now,” Binay added.
During the visit, de Veyra presented an overview of the city and its programs and services, while the City Council shared disaster preparedness and resiliency initiatives to the delegates. The Makati and Yokohama officials and businessmen also explored possible areas of investment and mutual cooperation.
With the support of CITYNET, Makati has accomplished its Climate Disaster Resiliency Initiative Capacity Building Program, C2C Technical Advisory Services and Study Visit on Solid Waste and Liquid Waste Management, Climate Action Plan (Makati CAP), and Comprehensive Climate and Disaster Risk Management Master Plan through the Climate and Disaster Resiliency Initiative (of CITYNET, Kyoto University, etc.), among others.
Makati has been an active member of CITYNET since the 1990s.
CITYNET was established in 1987 and currently has more than 100 member-cities in over 20 countries. CITYNET is celebrating its 25th anniversary this July.
Makati’s disaster resiliency and preparedness initiatives have gained international and local recognition. It was named the “Role Model City” and “Campaign Champion for Making Cities Resilient” by the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) last May 2011, and one of “East Asia’s Climate Resilient Cities” by the World Bank in 2008.
Makati has also won the Gawad KALASAG (Kalamidad at Sakuna Labanan, Sariling Galing ang Kaligtasan) Award as Best Local Disaster Coordinating Council for the Highly Urbanized City category in the National Capital Region from 2006 to 2011, making it to the Hall of Fame twice. It was also adjudged the nation’s Best Local Disaster Coordinating Council for Highly Urbanized City category in 2006, 2010 and 2011.
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