PHILIPPINES

UPDATESM A R C H 2 0 1 5

Country Office

Post-Yolanda shelter project in Panay Island exceeds

some targets CLICK HERE TO GO STRAIGHT TO STORY

French President Hollande joins local leaders youth

and fisherfolk in Guiuan for global climate change call

to actionCLICK HERE TO GO STRAIGHT TO STORY

Public space in spotlight at Manila conference

CLICK HERE TO GO STRAIGHT TO STORY

Manila youth redesign Luneta in Minecraft competition CLICK HERE TO GO STRAIGHT TO STORY

Experts convene to push Habitat III national report

further on road to completion

CLICK HERE TO GO STRAIGHT TO STORY

Philippines Country Office UpdatesMarch 2015

Post-Yolanda Shelter Project in Panay Island Exceeds Some Of Its TargetsUN-Habitat launched the Post-Yolanda Support for Safer Homes and Settlements project in July 2014 in the provinces of Capiz (Roxas City and the municipalities of Panay and Pontevedra) and Iloilo (Municipality of Estancia) With funding worth USD 25 million from the Government of Japan and an additional PHP 427 million from the Core Shelter Assistance Program of DSWD

The primary goal of the project was to capacitate the affected communities as well as local governments through a community-driven approach called Peoplersquos Process The process is hinged on self-recovery of shelter and community facilities and on strengthening the communityrsquos technical capacities Another goal of the project was to advocate and promote the concept of ldquobuild back saferrdquo for shelter and community facilities

Under the Peoplersquos Process the community leads and manages projects with technical assistance and monitoring of UN-Habitat Projects are implemented through community contracting with legitimate homeownersrsquo associations (HOAs) Such an approach has been successfully implemented in other countries notably in Indonesia the Maldives and Sri Lanka after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami The Peoplersquos Process improves the

general skill level of community members and enables them to showcase their own creativity and ingenuity as active actors in their own rehabilitation instilling in them a sense of pride and dignity It establishes trust and promotes a sense of ownership on the part of the community

UN-Habitat also collaborates with a number of partners both governmental and non-governmental in enabling communities to become disaster-resilient It is vital to work with local actors so that the communities may continue to keep strong and sustainable relationships with local partners even after UN-Habitatlsquos technical support and presence under the project

Main Funding Source Government of Japan (USD 25 million and Department of Social Welfare and Development (PHP 427 million)

Project Duration 1 April 2014 to 30 June 2015

Partners

bull Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)

bull Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC)

bull Social Housing and Finance Corporation (SHFC)

bull 27 homeownersrsquo associations (HOAs) under SHFCrsquos Community Mortgage Program

bull Local government units (LGUs) of Roxas Panay and Pontevedra

bull (Capiz Province) and Estancia (Iloilo Province)

bull United Architects of the Philippines (UAP) ndash Capiz chapter

bull Association of Structural Engineers of the Philippines (ASEP) ndash Capiz Chapter

bull Hilti Foundationbull Banco de Oro Foundation (BDOF)

Philippines Country Office UpdatesMarch 2015

Summary of Outputs

Expected Output Actual Output(as of 28 February 2015)

Accelerated recovery for 20 target communities

32 communities in Capiz and Iloilo have been contacted of which 27 have entered

into community agreements or partnerships under the project

610 households in Capiz to have access to resilient shelter

Construction of 230 houses has been completed with another 201 being

constructed The balance of 179 houses will be completed by March 2015 Additional 50 houses will be constructed because of

augmentation funds from DSWD

250 semi-skilled artisans receive training to upgrade their construction and DRR skills

As of December 2014 a total of 323 artisans and carpenters had been trained

20 communities will have improved community facilities

One multipurpose center has been completed and turned over to the

community Six infrastructure projects have already been started The project

will be able to support community infrastructure for each of the 27

communities

Philippines Country Office UpdatesMarch 2015

4000 households in 32 communities will benefit from the trained artisans and enhanced DRR know-how

Over 170 household assessors and guiders (HAGs) have been trained to

assess the houses of their neighbors in the communities using enhanced DRR

know-how The publication Guide on Self-Assessment of the Typhoon-resistance of

Houses and How to Improve Them has been developed and used as basis for

the training A total of 4029 households have been trained by the HAGs as of 28

February 2015

Increased awareness for building back safer at national and local level

The project was able to raise awareness for building back better on both the

national and local levels Various activities and learning events in partnership with different organizations were conducted

where build back safer principles and techniques were discussed and shared

media was also engaged in information dissemination

Philippines Country Office UpdatesMarch 2015

French President Hollande Joins Local Leaders Youth and Fisherfolk in Guiuan for Global Climate Change Call To Action

On his Philippines tour French President Franccedilois Hollandersquos made a whistle stop visit of Guiuan meeting local leaders fishermen and the youth Guiuan a second-class municipality at the southern tip of Eastern Samar facing the Pacific Ocean was the location of Super Typhoon Haiyanrsquos first landfall

All houses in the municipality were razed to the ground in the wake of Haiyan which also swept through vast municipal waters including a 60448-hectare marine reserve The super typhoon caused USD85 million worth of damage in Guiuanrsquos fisheries sector alone and flattened coconut farms that comprised the municipalityrsquos economy But given the current climate regime Haiyan may not be the last extreme weather event from which Guiuan and the rest of the country can suffer President Hollande was on a two-day visit to the Philippines to push for a global call to action against climate change in support of the 21st Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

(COP21) taking place in Paris this December

Shortly after touching down in Guiuan on 27 February Hollande had a dialogue with local authorities of the municipal government of Guiuan led by Mayor Christopher Sheen Gonzales as well as representatives from civil society and the private sector After the dialogue Hollande and Gonzales with their respective parties proceeded to the public market and terminal complex where Hollande met with members of the fisherfolk association Being frontliners in the ecosystem change induced by climate change Guiuan fisherfolk are being provided partnerships for assistance by the French government

At the Guiuan East Central School Hollande

gave a public address that highlighted the French governmentrsquos solidarity with the Philippines in making sure that efforts being done for the success of COP21 would bring about the safety and resilience of the future generation ldquoYou will set an example for the international communityrdquo Hollande stated in French addressing the local crowd gathered at the school grounds

ldquoIt is here that you suffered it is here that you are acting We havehellipa special duty to do more because we will be holding the climate conference in December And on this occasion what Irsquove seen here will shed light on what we will be doing in Paris France wants an agreement to be found with all countries We want to sign a noble and binding agreement

Philippines Country Office UpdatesMarch 2015

And when France will mobilize all the countries in the world for the success of that conference I will remember your faces I will remember thathellipyou will be watching us heads of state and governments And if we succeed at the end of the conference I will also remember your faces see them once again and remember that we will be acting in the name of the world in the name of Guiuan so that nothing like this ever happens againrdquo

A youth representative from Guiuan Alexandra Paranas formally responded ending her message with an appeal ldquoPlease sign the agreement for us in Paris France Please sign it for our futurerdquo Since Haiyan struck UN-Habitat has been providing technical support in planning to Guiuan with respect to recovery rehabilitation reconstruction climate change adaptation and sustainable development A concrete output of this support is the Guiuan Recovery and Rehabilitation Plan (GRRP) which guides efforts of the city and its development partners in rebuilding a resilient Guiuan

Additionally the French government has been supporting recovery efforts in Guiuan with projects mainly in water sanitation and health through agencies like Agence drsquoAide agrave la Coopeacuteration Technique Et au Deacuteveloppement (Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development ACTED) and Meacutedecins Sans Frontiegraveres (Doctors Without Borders MSF) The French delegation in the dialogue included French ministers Laurent Fabius Annick Girardin and Seacutegolegravene Royal

and were joined by Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I UN Under-Secretary-General Christiana Figueres (UNFCCC Executive Secretary) and UN Under-Secretary-General Achim Steiner (UNEP Executive Director) Senior officials from other international organizations and French artists and environment campaigners Marion Cotillard and Melanie Laurent were also present

mdashFrench President Franccedilois Hollande in Guiuan public address

ldquo

rdquo

And when France will mobilize all the countries in the world for the success of that conference I will remember that you will be watching us And if we succeed at the end of the conference I will also remember your facesand remember that we will be acting in the name of the world in the name of Guiuan so that nothing like this ever happens again

Hollande and Gonzales at the dialogue

Senior officials from other international organizations join the UN-Habitat Philippines team Achim Steiner (UNEP Executive Director second from left) Inger Andersen (IUCN Director General third from left) and Christiana Figueres (UNFCCC Executive Secretary fourth from left)

Philippines Country Office UpdatesMarch 2015

Public Space in Spotlight at Manila Conference

An Interactive Conference on ldquoPublic Space and the New Urban Agendardquo took place in Pasay City 27-28 February 2015 and was jointly organized by UN-Habitat League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP) and Future of Places in cooperation with Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) and United Cities and Local Government Asia-Pacific (UCLG ASPAC)

The conference brought together mayors from 20 cities in the Philippines to discuss one of the greatest challenges facing leaders today building inclusive healthy safe connected integrated and productive cities There are no easy solutions but in examples from all around the world streets and public spaces are

becoming the key to revitalizing communities and cities

UN-Habitat research has shown that attractive active well-functioning public space can jump-start economic development while public spaces help build a sense of community and civic identity as well as promote economic development and culture By recognizing and developing the positive potential of public spaces cities can enhance safety create economic opportunity improve public health and promote public democracy or ldquothe right to the cityrdquo

For partners working closely with the government of the Philippines the overall objective is to contribute towards

strengthening the existing national city network to work on public space and finally to advocate for the integration of public space into the regional and global new urban agenda and contribute to the global movement towards The Future of Places 3 conference the Sustainable Development Goals and the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development Habitat III set to take place in 2016

Prior to the conference a Minecraft competition was held bringing together young people from the whole of Metro Manila to compete in proposing options to revitalizing Rizal Park taking into consideration safety facilities for children and young people and promoting social interaction between citizens Minecraft is a computer game in which players create buildings and worlds out of blocks Makers of the game Mojang are working with UN-Habitat on the Block by Block project which uses the tools of Minecraft to encourage public participation in the design of public space

mdashVice President Jejomar Binay to city leaders at the conference on Public Space and the New Urban Agenda Get complete speech here

ldquordquo

The challenge is upon us to protect and improve on existing public spaces and to bring public-private partnership in developing new ones

Officials from UN-Habitat LCP HUDCC and local government with winners of the Minecrat competition that served as a springboard event of the conference

VP Binay urges city leaders to develop more public spaces

Philippines Country Office UpdatesMarch 2015

Post-Yolanda Shelter Project in Panay Island Exceeds Some Of Its TargetsUN-Habitat launched the Post-Yolanda Support for Safer Homes and Settlements project in July 2014 in the provinces of Capiz (Roxas City and the municipalities of Panay and Pontevedra) and Iloilo (Municipality of Estancia) With funding worth USD 25 million from the Government of Japan and an additional PHP 427 million from the Core Shelter Assistance Program of DSWD

The primary goal of the project was to capacitate the affected communities as well as local governments through a community-driven approach called Peoplersquos Process The process is hinged on self-recovery of shelter and community facilities and on strengthening the communityrsquos technical capacities Another goal of the project was to advocate and promote the concept of ldquobuild back saferrdquo for shelter and community facilities

Under the Peoplersquos Process the community leads and manages projects with technical assistance and monitoring of UN-Habitat Projects are implemented through community contracting with legitimate homeownersrsquo associations (HOAs) Such an approach has been successfully implemented in other countries notably in Indonesia the Maldives and Sri Lanka after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami The Peoplersquos Process improves the

general skill level of community members and enables them to showcase their own creativity and ingenuity as active actors in their own rehabilitation instilling in them a sense of pride and dignity It establishes trust and promotes a sense of ownership on the part of the community

UN-Habitat also collaborates with a number of partners both governmental and non-governmental in enabling communities to become disaster-resilient It is vital to work with local actors so that the communities may continue to keep strong and sustainable relationships with local partners even after UN-Habitatlsquos technical support and presence under the project

Main Funding Source Government of Japan (USD 25 million and Department of Social Welfare and Development (PHP 427 million)

Project Duration 1 April 2014 to 30 June 2015

Partners

bull Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)

bull Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC)

bull Social Housing and Finance Corporation (SHFC)

bull 27 homeownersrsquo associations (HOAs) under SHFCrsquos Community Mortgage Program

bull Local government units (LGUs) of Roxas Panay and Pontevedra

bull (Capiz Province) and Estancia (Iloilo Province)

bull United Architects of the Philippines (UAP) ndash Capiz chapter

bull Association of Structural Engineers of the Philippines (ASEP) ndash Capiz Chapter

bull Hilti Foundationbull Banco de Oro Foundation (BDOF)

Philippines Country Office UpdatesMarch 2015

Summary of Outputs

Expected Output Actual Output(as of 28 February 2015)

Accelerated recovery for 20 target communities

32 communities in Capiz and Iloilo have been contacted of which 27 have entered

into community agreements or partnerships under the project

610 households in Capiz to have access to resilient shelter

Construction of 230 houses has been completed with another 201 being

constructed The balance of 179 houses will be completed by March 2015 Additional 50 houses will be constructed because of

augmentation funds from DSWD

250 semi-skilled artisans receive training to upgrade their construction and DRR skills

As of December 2014 a total of 323 artisans and carpenters had been trained

20 communities will have improved community facilities

One multipurpose center has been completed and turned over to the

community Six infrastructure projects have already been started The project

will be able to support community infrastructure for each of the 27

communities

Philippines Country Office UpdatesMarch 2015

4000 households in 32 communities will benefit from the trained artisans and enhanced DRR know-how

Over 170 household assessors and guiders (HAGs) have been trained to

assess the houses of their neighbors in the communities using enhanced DRR

know-how The publication Guide on Self-Assessment of the Typhoon-resistance of

Houses and How to Improve Them has been developed and used as basis for

the training A total of 4029 households have been trained by the HAGs as of 28

February 2015

Increased awareness for building back safer at national and local level

The project was able to raise awareness for building back better on both the

national and local levels Various activities and learning events in partnership with different organizations were conducted

where build back safer principles and techniques were discussed and shared

media was also engaged in information dissemination

Philippines Country Office UpdatesMarch 2015

French President Hollande Joins Local Leaders Youth and Fisherfolk in Guiuan for Global Climate Change Call To Action

On his Philippines tour French President Franccedilois Hollandersquos made a whistle stop visit of Guiuan meeting local leaders fishermen and the youth Guiuan a second-class municipality at the southern tip of Eastern Samar facing the Pacific Ocean was the location of Super Typhoon Haiyanrsquos first landfall

All houses in the municipality were razed to the ground in the wake of Haiyan which also swept through vast municipal waters including a 60448-hectare marine reserve The super typhoon caused USD85 million worth of damage in Guiuanrsquos fisheries sector alone and flattened coconut farms that comprised the municipalityrsquos economy But given the current climate regime Haiyan may not be the last extreme weather event from which Guiuan and the rest of the country can suffer President Hollande was on a two-day visit to the Philippines to push for a global call to action against climate change in support of the 21st Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

(COP21) taking place in Paris this December

Shortly after touching down in Guiuan on 27 February Hollande had a dialogue with local authorities of the municipal government of Guiuan led by Mayor Christopher Sheen Gonzales as well as representatives from civil society and the private sector After the dialogue Hollande and Gonzales with their respective parties proceeded to the public market and terminal complex where Hollande met with members of the fisherfolk association Being frontliners in the ecosystem change induced by climate change Guiuan fisherfolk are being provided partnerships for assistance by the French government

At the Guiuan East Central School Hollande

gave a public address that highlighted the French governmentrsquos solidarity with the Philippines in making sure that efforts being done for the success of COP21 would bring about the safety and resilience of the future generation ldquoYou will set an example for the international communityrdquo Hollande stated in French addressing the local crowd gathered at the school grounds

ldquoIt is here that you suffered it is here that you are acting We havehellipa special duty to do more because we will be holding the climate conference in December And on this occasion what Irsquove seen here will shed light on what we will be doing in Paris France wants an agreement to be found with all countries We want to sign a noble and binding agreement

Philippines Country Office UpdatesMarch 2015

And when France will mobilize all the countries in the world for the success of that conference I will remember your faces I will remember thathellipyou will be watching us heads of state and governments And if we succeed at the end of the conference I will also remember your faces see them once again and remember that we will be acting in the name of the world in the name of Guiuan so that nothing like this ever happens againrdquo

A youth representative from Guiuan Alexandra Paranas formally responded ending her message with an appeal ldquoPlease sign the agreement for us in Paris France Please sign it for our futurerdquo Since Haiyan struck UN-Habitat has been providing technical support in planning to Guiuan with respect to recovery rehabilitation reconstruction climate change adaptation and sustainable development A concrete output of this support is the Guiuan Recovery and Rehabilitation Plan (GRRP) which guides efforts of the city and its development partners in rebuilding a resilient Guiuan

Additionally the French government has been supporting recovery efforts in Guiuan with projects mainly in water sanitation and health through agencies like Agence drsquoAide agrave la Coopeacuteration Technique Et au Deacuteveloppement (Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development ACTED) and Meacutedecins Sans Frontiegraveres (Doctors Without Borders MSF) The French delegation in the dialogue included French ministers Laurent Fabius Annick Girardin and Seacutegolegravene Royal

and were joined by Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I UN Under-Secretary-General Christiana Figueres (UNFCCC Executive Secretary) and UN Under-Secretary-General Achim Steiner (UNEP Executive Director) Senior officials from other international organizations and French artists and environment campaigners Marion Cotillard and Melanie Laurent were also present

mdashFrench President Franccedilois Hollande in Guiuan public address

ldquo

rdquo

And when France will mobilize all the countries in the world for the success of that conference I will remember that you will be watching us And if we succeed at the end of the conference I will also remember your facesand remember that we will be acting in the name of the world in the name of Guiuan so that nothing like this ever happens again

Hollande and Gonzales at the dialogue

Senior officials from other international organizations join the UN-Habitat Philippines team Achim Steiner (UNEP Executive Director second from left) Inger Andersen (IUCN Director General third from left) and Christiana Figueres (UNFCCC Executive Secretary fourth from left)

Philippines Country Office UpdatesMarch 2015

Public Space in Spotlight at Manila Conference

An Interactive Conference on ldquoPublic Space and the New Urban Agendardquo took place in Pasay City 27-28 February 2015 and was jointly organized by UN-Habitat League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP) and Future of Places in cooperation with Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) and United Cities and Local Government Asia-Pacific (UCLG ASPAC)

The conference brought together mayors from 20 cities in the Philippines to discuss one of the greatest challenges facing leaders today building inclusive healthy safe connected integrated and productive cities There are no easy solutions but in examples from all around the world streets and public spaces are

becoming the key to revitalizing communities and cities

UN-Habitat research has shown that attractive active well-functioning public space can jump-start economic development while public spaces help build a sense of community and civic identity as well as promote economic development and culture By recognizing and developing the positive potential of public spaces cities can enhance safety create economic opportunity improve public health and promote public democracy or ldquothe right to the cityrdquo

For partners working closely with the government of the Philippines the overall objective is to contribute towards

strengthening the existing national city network to work on public space and finally to advocate for the integration of public space into the regional and global new urban agenda and contribute to the global movement towards The Future of Places 3 conference the Sustainable Development Goals and the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development Habitat III set to take place in 2016

Prior to the conference a Minecraft competition was held bringing together young people from the whole of Metro Manila to compete in proposing options to revitalizing Rizal Park taking into consideration safety facilities for children and young people and promoting social interaction between citizens Minecraft is a computer game in which players create buildings and worlds out of blocks Makers of the game Mojang are working with UN-Habitat on the Block by Block project which uses the tools of Minecraft to encourage public participation in the design of public space

mdashVice President Jejomar Binay to city leaders at the conference on Public Space and the New Urban Agenda Get complete speech here

ldquordquo

The challenge is upon us to protect and improve on existing public spaces and to bring public-private partnership in developing new ones

Officials from UN-Habitat LCP HUDCC and local government with winners of the Minecrat competition that served as a springboard event of the conference

VP Binay urges city leaders to develop more public spaces

Philippines Country Office UpdatesMarch 2015

Summary of Outputs

Expected Output Actual Output(as of 28 February 2015)

Accelerated recovery for 20 target communities

32 communities in Capiz and Iloilo have been contacted of which 27 have entered

into community agreements or partnerships under the project

610 households in Capiz to have access to resilient shelter

Construction of 230 houses has been completed with another 201 being

constructed The balance of 179 houses will be completed by March 2015 Additional 50 houses will be constructed because of

augmentation funds from DSWD

250 semi-skilled artisans receive training to upgrade their construction and DRR skills

As of December 2014 a total of 323 artisans and carpenters had been trained

20 communities will have improved community facilities

One multipurpose center has been completed and turned over to the

community Six infrastructure projects have already been started The project

will be able to support community infrastructure for each of the 27

communities

Philippines Country Office UpdatesMarch 2015

4000 households in 32 communities will benefit from the trained artisans and enhanced DRR know-how

Over 170 household assessors and guiders (HAGs) have been trained to

assess the houses of their neighbors in the communities using enhanced DRR

know-how The publication Guide on Self-Assessment of the Typhoon-resistance of

Houses and How to Improve Them has been developed and used as basis for

the training A total of 4029 households have been trained by the HAGs as of 28

February 2015

Increased awareness for building back safer at national and local level

The project was able to raise awareness for building back better on both the

national and local levels Various activities and learning events in partnership with different organizations were conducted

where build back safer principles and techniques were discussed and shared

media was also engaged in information dissemination

Philippines Country Office UpdatesMarch 2015

French President Hollande Joins Local Leaders Youth and Fisherfolk in Guiuan for Global Climate Change Call To Action

On his Philippines tour French President Franccedilois Hollandersquos made a whistle stop visit of Guiuan meeting local leaders fishermen and the youth Guiuan a second-class municipality at the southern tip of Eastern Samar facing the Pacific Ocean was the location of Super Typhoon Haiyanrsquos first landfall

All houses in the municipality were razed to the ground in the wake of Haiyan which also swept through vast municipal waters including a 60448-hectare marine reserve The super typhoon caused USD85 million worth of damage in Guiuanrsquos fisheries sector alone and flattened coconut farms that comprised the municipalityrsquos economy But given the current climate regime Haiyan may not be the last extreme weather event from which Guiuan and the rest of the country can suffer President Hollande was on a two-day visit to the Philippines to push for a global call to action against climate change in support of the 21st Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

(COP21) taking place in Paris this December

Shortly after touching down in Guiuan on 27 February Hollande had a dialogue with local authorities of the municipal government of Guiuan led by Mayor Christopher Sheen Gonzales as well as representatives from civil society and the private sector After the dialogue Hollande and Gonzales with their respective parties proceeded to the public market and terminal complex where Hollande met with members of the fisherfolk association Being frontliners in the ecosystem change induced by climate change Guiuan fisherfolk are being provided partnerships for assistance by the French government

At the Guiuan East Central School Hollande

gave a public address that highlighted the French governmentrsquos solidarity with the Philippines in making sure that efforts being done for the success of COP21 would bring about the safety and resilience of the future generation ldquoYou will set an example for the international communityrdquo Hollande stated in French addressing the local crowd gathered at the school grounds

ldquoIt is here that you suffered it is here that you are acting We havehellipa special duty to do more because we will be holding the climate conference in December And on this occasion what Irsquove seen here will shed light on what we will be doing in Paris France wants an agreement to be found with all countries We want to sign a noble and binding agreement

Philippines Country Office UpdatesMarch 2015

And when France will mobilize all the countries in the world for the success of that conference I will remember your faces I will remember thathellipyou will be watching us heads of state and governments And if we succeed at the end of the conference I will also remember your faces see them once again and remember that we will be acting in the name of the world in the name of Guiuan so that nothing like this ever happens againrdquo

A youth representative from Guiuan Alexandra Paranas formally responded ending her message with an appeal ldquoPlease sign the agreement for us in Paris France Please sign it for our futurerdquo Since Haiyan struck UN-Habitat has been providing technical support in planning to Guiuan with respect to recovery rehabilitation reconstruction climate change adaptation and sustainable development A concrete output of this support is the Guiuan Recovery and Rehabilitation Plan (GRRP) which guides efforts of the city and its development partners in rebuilding a resilient Guiuan

Additionally the French government has been supporting recovery efforts in Guiuan with projects mainly in water sanitation and health through agencies like Agence drsquoAide agrave la Coopeacuteration Technique Et au Deacuteveloppement (Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development ACTED) and Meacutedecins Sans Frontiegraveres (Doctors Without Borders MSF) The French delegation in the dialogue included French ministers Laurent Fabius Annick Girardin and Seacutegolegravene Royal

and were joined by Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I UN Under-Secretary-General Christiana Figueres (UNFCCC Executive Secretary) and UN Under-Secretary-General Achim Steiner (UNEP Executive Director) Senior officials from other international organizations and French artists and environment campaigners Marion Cotillard and Melanie Laurent were also present

mdashFrench President Franccedilois Hollande in Guiuan public address

ldquo

rdquo

And when France will mobilize all the countries in the world for the success of that conference I will remember that you will be watching us And if we succeed at the end of the conference I will also remember your facesand remember that we will be acting in the name of the world in the name of Guiuan so that nothing like this ever happens again

Hollande and Gonzales at the dialogue

Senior officials from other international organizations join the UN-Habitat Philippines team Achim Steiner (UNEP Executive Director second from left) Inger Andersen (IUCN Director General third from left) and Christiana Figueres (UNFCCC Executive Secretary fourth from left)

Philippines Country Office UpdatesMarch 2015

Public Space in Spotlight at Manila Conference

An Interactive Conference on ldquoPublic Space and the New Urban Agendardquo took place in Pasay City 27-28 February 2015 and was jointly organized by UN-Habitat League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP) and Future of Places in cooperation with Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) and United Cities and Local Government Asia-Pacific (UCLG ASPAC)

The conference brought together mayors from 20 cities in the Philippines to discuss one of the greatest challenges facing leaders today building inclusive healthy safe connected integrated and productive cities There are no easy solutions but in examples from all around the world streets and public spaces are

becoming the key to revitalizing communities and cities

UN-Habitat research has shown that attractive active well-functioning public space can jump-start economic development while public spaces help build a sense of community and civic identity as well as promote economic development and culture By recognizing and developing the positive potential of public spaces cities can enhance safety create economic opportunity improve public health and promote public democracy or ldquothe right to the cityrdquo

For partners working closely with the government of the Philippines the overall objective is to contribute towards

strengthening the existing national city network to work on public space and finally to advocate for the integration of public space into the regional and global new urban agenda and contribute to the global movement towards The Future of Places 3 conference the Sustainable Development Goals and the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development Habitat III set to take place in 2016

Prior to the conference a Minecraft competition was held bringing together young people from the whole of Metro Manila to compete in proposing options to revitalizing Rizal Park taking into consideration safety facilities for children and young people and promoting social interaction between citizens Minecraft is a computer game in which players create buildings and worlds out of blocks Makers of the game Mojang are working with UN-Habitat on the Block by Block project which uses the tools of Minecraft to encourage public participation in the design of public space

mdashVice President Jejomar Binay to city leaders at the conference on Public Space and the New Urban Agenda Get complete speech here

ldquordquo

The challenge is upon us to protect and improve on existing public spaces and to bring public-private partnership in developing new ones

Officials from UN-Habitat LCP HUDCC and local government with winners of the Minecrat competition that served as a springboard event of the conference

VP Binay urges city leaders to develop more public spaces

Philippines Country Office UpdatesMarch 2015

4000 households in 32 communities will benefit from the trained artisans and enhanced DRR know-how

Over 170 household assessors and guiders (HAGs) have been trained to

assess the houses of their neighbors in the communities using enhanced DRR

know-how The publication Guide on Self-Assessment of the Typhoon-resistance of

Houses and How to Improve Them has been developed and used as basis for

the training A total of 4029 households have been trained by the HAGs as of 28

February 2015

Increased awareness for building back safer at national and local level

The project was able to raise awareness for building back better on both the

national and local levels Various activities and learning events in partnership with different organizations were conducted

where build back safer principles and techniques were discussed and shared

media was also engaged in information dissemination

Philippines Country Office UpdatesMarch 2015

French President Hollande Joins Local Leaders Youth and Fisherfolk in Guiuan for Global Climate Change Call To Action

On his Philippines tour French President Franccedilois Hollandersquos made a whistle stop visit of Guiuan meeting local leaders fishermen and the youth Guiuan a second-class municipality at the southern tip of Eastern Samar facing the Pacific Ocean was the location of Super Typhoon Haiyanrsquos first landfall

All houses in the municipality were razed to the ground in the wake of Haiyan which also swept through vast municipal waters including a 60448-hectare marine reserve The super typhoon caused USD85 million worth of damage in Guiuanrsquos fisheries sector alone and flattened coconut farms that comprised the municipalityrsquos economy But given the current climate regime Haiyan may not be the last extreme weather event from which Guiuan and the rest of the country can suffer President Hollande was on a two-day visit to the Philippines to push for a global call to action against climate change in support of the 21st Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

(COP21) taking place in Paris this December

Shortly after touching down in Guiuan on 27 February Hollande had a dialogue with local authorities of the municipal government of Guiuan led by Mayor Christopher Sheen Gonzales as well as representatives from civil society and the private sector After the dialogue Hollande and Gonzales with their respective parties proceeded to the public market and terminal complex where Hollande met with members of the fisherfolk association Being frontliners in the ecosystem change induced by climate change Guiuan fisherfolk are being provided partnerships for assistance by the French government

At the Guiuan East Central School Hollande

gave a public address that highlighted the French governmentrsquos solidarity with the Philippines in making sure that efforts being done for the success of COP21 would bring about the safety and resilience of the future generation ldquoYou will set an example for the international communityrdquo Hollande stated in French addressing the local crowd gathered at the school grounds

ldquoIt is here that you suffered it is here that you are acting We havehellipa special duty to do more because we will be holding the climate conference in December And on this occasion what Irsquove seen here will shed light on what we will be doing in Paris France wants an agreement to be found with all countries We want to sign a noble and binding agreement

Philippines Country Office UpdatesMarch 2015

And when France will mobilize all the countries in the world for the success of that conference I will remember your faces I will remember thathellipyou will be watching us heads of state and governments And if we succeed at the end of the conference I will also remember your faces see them once again and remember that we will be acting in the name of the world in the name of Guiuan so that nothing like this ever happens againrdquo

A youth representative from Guiuan Alexandra Paranas formally responded ending her message with an appeal ldquoPlease sign the agreement for us in Paris France Please sign it for our futurerdquo Since Haiyan struck UN-Habitat has been providing technical support in planning to Guiuan with respect to recovery rehabilitation reconstruction climate change adaptation and sustainable development A concrete output of this support is the Guiuan Recovery and Rehabilitation Plan (GRRP) which guides efforts of the city and its development partners in rebuilding a resilient Guiuan

Additionally the French government has been supporting recovery efforts in Guiuan with projects mainly in water sanitation and health through agencies like Agence drsquoAide agrave la Coopeacuteration Technique Et au Deacuteveloppement (Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development ACTED) and Meacutedecins Sans Frontiegraveres (Doctors Without Borders MSF) The French delegation in the dialogue included French ministers Laurent Fabius Annick Girardin and Seacutegolegravene Royal

and were joined by Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I UN Under-Secretary-General Christiana Figueres (UNFCCC Executive Secretary) and UN Under-Secretary-General Achim Steiner (UNEP Executive Director) Senior officials from other international organizations and French artists and environment campaigners Marion Cotillard and Melanie Laurent were also present

mdashFrench President Franccedilois Hollande in Guiuan public address

ldquo

rdquo

And when France will mobilize all the countries in the world for the success of that conference I will remember that you will be watching us And if we succeed at the end of the conference I will also remember your facesand remember that we will be acting in the name of the world in the name of Guiuan so that nothing like this ever happens again

Hollande and Gonzales at the dialogue

Senior officials from other international organizations join the UN-Habitat Philippines team Achim Steiner (UNEP Executive Director second from left) Inger Andersen (IUCN Director General third from left) and Christiana Figueres (UNFCCC Executive Secretary fourth from left)

Philippines Country Office UpdatesMarch 2015

Public Space in Spotlight at Manila Conference

An Interactive Conference on ldquoPublic Space and the New Urban Agendardquo took place in Pasay City 27-28 February 2015 and was jointly organized by UN-Habitat League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP) and Future of Places in cooperation with Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) and United Cities and Local Government Asia-Pacific (UCLG ASPAC)

The conference brought together mayors from 20 cities in the Philippines to discuss one of the greatest challenges facing leaders today building inclusive healthy safe connected integrated and productive cities There are no easy solutions but in examples from all around the world streets and public spaces are

becoming the key to revitalizing communities and cities

UN-Habitat research has shown that attractive active well-functioning public space can jump-start economic development while public spaces help build a sense of community and civic identity as well as promote economic development and culture By recognizing and developing the positive potential of public spaces cities can enhance safety create economic opportunity improve public health and promote public democracy or ldquothe right to the cityrdquo

For partners working closely with the government of the Philippines the overall objective is to contribute towards

strengthening the existing national city network to work on public space and finally to advocate for the integration of public space into the regional and global new urban agenda and contribute to the global movement towards The Future of Places 3 conference the Sustainable Development Goals and the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development Habitat III set to take place in 2016

Prior to the conference a Minecraft competition was held bringing together young people from the whole of Metro Manila to compete in proposing options to revitalizing Rizal Park taking into consideration safety facilities for children and young people and promoting social interaction between citizens Minecraft is a computer game in which players create buildings and worlds out of blocks Makers of the game Mojang are working with UN-Habitat on the Block by Block project which uses the tools of Minecraft to encourage public participation in the design of public space

mdashVice President Jejomar Binay to city leaders at the conference on Public Space and the New Urban Agenda Get complete speech here

ldquordquo

The challenge is upon us to protect and improve on existing public spaces and to bring public-private partnership in developing new ones

Officials from UN-Habitat LCP HUDCC and local government with winners of the Minecrat competition that served as a springboard event of the conference

VP Binay urges city leaders to develop more public spaces

Philippines Country Office UpdatesMarch 2015

French President Hollande Joins Local Leaders Youth and Fisherfolk in Guiuan for Global Climate Change Call To Action

On his Philippines tour French President Franccedilois Hollandersquos made a whistle stop visit of Guiuan meeting local leaders fishermen and the youth Guiuan a second-class municipality at the southern tip of Eastern Samar facing the Pacific Ocean was the location of Super Typhoon Haiyanrsquos first landfall

All houses in the municipality were razed to the ground in the wake of Haiyan which also swept through vast municipal waters including a 60448-hectare marine reserve The super typhoon caused USD85 million worth of damage in Guiuanrsquos fisheries sector alone and flattened coconut farms that comprised the municipalityrsquos economy But given the current climate regime Haiyan may not be the last extreme weather event from which Guiuan and the rest of the country can suffer President Hollande was on a two-day visit to the Philippines to push for a global call to action against climate change in support of the 21st Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

(COP21) taking place in Paris this December

Shortly after touching down in Guiuan on 27 February Hollande had a dialogue with local authorities of the municipal government of Guiuan led by Mayor Christopher Sheen Gonzales as well as representatives from civil society and the private sector After the dialogue Hollande and Gonzales with their respective parties proceeded to the public market and terminal complex where Hollande met with members of the fisherfolk association Being frontliners in the ecosystem change induced by climate change Guiuan fisherfolk are being provided partnerships for assistance by the French government

At the Guiuan East Central School Hollande

gave a public address that highlighted the French governmentrsquos solidarity with the Philippines in making sure that efforts being done for the success of COP21 would bring about the safety and resilience of the future generation ldquoYou will set an example for the international communityrdquo Hollande stated in French addressing the local crowd gathered at the school grounds

ldquoIt is here that you suffered it is here that you are acting We havehellipa special duty to do more because we will be holding the climate conference in December And on this occasion what Irsquove seen here will shed light on what we will be doing in Paris France wants an agreement to be found with all countries We want to sign a noble and binding agreement

Philippines Country Office UpdatesMarch 2015

And when France will mobilize all the countries in the world for the success of that conference I will remember your faces I will remember thathellipyou will be watching us heads of state and governments And if we succeed at the end of the conference I will also remember your faces see them once again and remember that we will be acting in the name of the world in the name of Guiuan so that nothing like this ever happens againrdquo

A youth representative from Guiuan Alexandra Paranas formally responded ending her message with an appeal ldquoPlease sign the agreement for us in Paris France Please sign it for our futurerdquo Since Haiyan struck UN-Habitat has been providing technical support in planning to Guiuan with respect to recovery rehabilitation reconstruction climate change adaptation and sustainable development A concrete output of this support is the Guiuan Recovery and Rehabilitation Plan (GRRP) which guides efforts of the city and its development partners in rebuilding a resilient Guiuan

Additionally the French government has been supporting recovery efforts in Guiuan with projects mainly in water sanitation and health through agencies like Agence drsquoAide agrave la Coopeacuteration Technique Et au Deacuteveloppement (Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development ACTED) and Meacutedecins Sans Frontiegraveres (Doctors Without Borders MSF) The French delegation in the dialogue included French ministers Laurent Fabius Annick Girardin and Seacutegolegravene Royal

and were joined by Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I UN Under-Secretary-General Christiana Figueres (UNFCCC Executive Secretary) and UN Under-Secretary-General Achim Steiner (UNEP Executive Director) Senior officials from other international organizations and French artists and environment campaigners Marion Cotillard and Melanie Laurent were also present

mdashFrench President Franccedilois Hollande in Guiuan public address

ldquo

rdquo

And when France will mobilize all the countries in the world for the success of that conference I will remember that you will be watching us And if we succeed at the end of the conference I will also remember your facesand remember that we will be acting in the name of the world in the name of Guiuan so that nothing like this ever happens again

Hollande and Gonzales at the dialogue

Senior officials from other international organizations join the UN-Habitat Philippines team Achim Steiner (UNEP Executive Director second from left) Inger Andersen (IUCN Director General third from left) and Christiana Figueres (UNFCCC Executive Secretary fourth from left)

Philippines Country Office UpdatesMarch 2015

Public Space in Spotlight at Manila Conference

An Interactive Conference on ldquoPublic Space and the New Urban Agendardquo took place in Pasay City 27-28 February 2015 and was jointly organized by UN-Habitat League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP) and Future of Places in cooperation with Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) and United Cities and Local Government Asia-Pacific (UCLG ASPAC)

The conference brought together mayors from 20 cities in the Philippines to discuss one of the greatest challenges facing leaders today building inclusive healthy safe connected integrated and productive cities There are no easy solutions but in examples from all around the world streets and public spaces are

becoming the key to revitalizing communities and cities

UN-Habitat research has shown that attractive active well-functioning public space can jump-start economic development while public spaces help build a sense of community and civic identity as well as promote economic development and culture By recognizing and developing the positive potential of public spaces cities can enhance safety create economic opportunity improve public health and promote public democracy or ldquothe right to the cityrdquo

For partners working closely with the government of the Philippines the overall objective is to contribute towards

strengthening the existing national city network to work on public space and finally to advocate for the integration of public space into the regional and global new urban agenda and contribute to the global movement towards The Future of Places 3 conference the Sustainable Development Goals and the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development Habitat III set to take place in 2016

Prior to the conference a Minecraft competition was held bringing together young people from the whole of Metro Manila to compete in proposing options to revitalizing Rizal Park taking into consideration safety facilities for children and young people and promoting social interaction between citizens Minecraft is a computer game in which players create buildings and worlds out of blocks Makers of the game Mojang are working with UN-Habitat on the Block by Block project which uses the tools of Minecraft to encourage public participation in the design of public space

mdashVice President Jejomar Binay to city leaders at the conference on Public Space and the New Urban Agenda Get complete speech here

ldquordquo

The challenge is upon us to protect and improve on existing public spaces and to bring public-private partnership in developing new ones

Officials from UN-Habitat LCP HUDCC and local government with winners of the Minecrat competition that served as a springboard event of the conference

VP Binay urges city leaders to develop more public spaces

Philippines Country Office UpdatesMarch 2015

And when France will mobilize all the countries in the world for the success of that conference I will remember your faces I will remember thathellipyou will be watching us heads of state and governments And if we succeed at the end of the conference I will also remember your faces see them once again and remember that we will be acting in the name of the world in the name of Guiuan so that nothing like this ever happens againrdquo

A youth representative from Guiuan Alexandra Paranas formally responded ending her message with an appeal ldquoPlease sign the agreement for us in Paris France Please sign it for our futurerdquo Since Haiyan struck UN-Habitat has been providing technical support in planning to Guiuan with respect to recovery rehabilitation reconstruction climate change adaptation and sustainable development A concrete output of this support is the Guiuan Recovery and Rehabilitation Plan (GRRP) which guides efforts of the city and its development partners in rebuilding a resilient Guiuan

Additionally the French government has been supporting recovery efforts in Guiuan with projects mainly in water sanitation and health through agencies like Agence drsquoAide agrave la Coopeacuteration Technique Et au Deacuteveloppement (Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development ACTED) and Meacutedecins Sans Frontiegraveres (Doctors Without Borders MSF) The French delegation in the dialogue included French ministers Laurent Fabius Annick Girardin and Seacutegolegravene Royal

and were joined by Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I UN Under-Secretary-General Christiana Figueres (UNFCCC Executive Secretary) and UN Under-Secretary-General Achim Steiner (UNEP Executive Director) Senior officials from other international organizations and French artists and environment campaigners Marion Cotillard and Melanie Laurent were also present

mdashFrench President Franccedilois Hollande in Guiuan public address

ldquo

rdquo

And when France will mobilize all the countries in the world for the success of that conference I will remember that you will be watching us And if we succeed at the end of the conference I will also remember your facesand remember that we will be acting in the name of the world in the name of Guiuan so that nothing like this ever happens again

Hollande and Gonzales at the dialogue

Senior officials from other international organizations join the UN-Habitat Philippines team Achim Steiner (UNEP Executive Director second from left) Inger Andersen (IUCN Director General third from left) and Christiana Figueres (UNFCCC Executive Secretary fourth from left)

Philippines Country Office UpdatesMarch 2015

Public Space in Spotlight at Manila Conference

An Interactive Conference on ldquoPublic Space and the New Urban Agendardquo took place in Pasay City 27-28 February 2015 and was jointly organized by UN-Habitat League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP) and Future of Places in cooperation with Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) and United Cities and Local Government Asia-Pacific (UCLG ASPAC)

The conference brought together mayors from 20 cities in the Philippines to discuss one of the greatest challenges facing leaders today building inclusive healthy safe connected integrated and productive cities There are no easy solutions but in examples from all around the world streets and public spaces are

becoming the key to revitalizing communities and cities

UN-Habitat research has shown that attractive active well-functioning public space can jump-start economic development while public spaces help build a sense of community and civic identity as well as promote economic development and culture By recognizing and developing the positive potential of public spaces cities can enhance safety create economic opportunity improve public health and promote public democracy or ldquothe right to the cityrdquo

For partners working closely with the government of the Philippines the overall objective is to contribute towards

strengthening the existing national city network to work on public space and finally to advocate for the integration of public space into the regional and global new urban agenda and contribute to the global movement towards The Future of Places 3 conference the Sustainable Development Goals and the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development Habitat III set to take place in 2016

Prior to the conference a Minecraft competition was held bringing together young people from the whole of Metro Manila to compete in proposing options to revitalizing Rizal Park taking into consideration safety facilities for children and young people and promoting social interaction between citizens Minecraft is a computer game in which players create buildings and worlds out of blocks Makers of the game Mojang are working with UN-Habitat on the Block by Block project which uses the tools of Minecraft to encourage public participation in the design of public space

mdashVice President Jejomar Binay to city leaders at the conference on Public Space and the New Urban Agenda Get complete speech here

ldquordquo

The challenge is upon us to protect and improve on existing public spaces and to bring public-private partnership in developing new ones

Officials from UN-Habitat LCP HUDCC and local government with winners of the Minecrat competition that served as a springboard event of the conference

VP Binay urges city leaders to develop more public spaces

Philippines Country Office UpdatesMarch 2015

Public Space in Spotlight at Manila Conference

An Interactive Conference on ldquoPublic Space and the New Urban Agendardquo took place in Pasay City 27-28 February 2015 and was jointly organized by UN-Habitat League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP) and Future of Places in cooperation with Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) and United Cities and Local Government Asia-Pacific (UCLG ASPAC)

The conference brought together mayors from 20 cities in the Philippines to discuss one of the greatest challenges facing leaders today building inclusive healthy safe connected integrated and productive cities There are no easy solutions but in examples from all around the world streets and public spaces are

becoming the key to revitalizing communities and cities

UN-Habitat research has shown that attractive active well-functioning public space can jump-start economic development while public spaces help build a sense of community and civic identity as well as promote economic development and culture By recognizing and developing the positive potential of public spaces cities can enhance safety create economic opportunity improve public health and promote public democracy or ldquothe right to the cityrdquo

For partners working closely with the government of the Philippines the overall objective is to contribute towards

strengthening the existing national city network to work on public space and finally to advocate for the integration of public space into the regional and global new urban agenda and contribute to the global movement towards The Future of Places 3 conference the Sustainable Development Goals and the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development Habitat III set to take place in 2016

Prior to the conference a Minecraft competition was held bringing together young people from the whole of Metro Manila to compete in proposing options to revitalizing Rizal Park taking into consideration safety facilities for children and young people and promoting social interaction between citizens Minecraft is a computer game in which players create buildings and worlds out of blocks Makers of the game Mojang are working with UN-Habitat on the Block by Block project which uses the tools of Minecraft to encourage public participation in the design of public space

mdashVice President Jejomar Binay to city leaders at the conference on Public Space and the New Urban Agenda Get complete speech here

ldquordquo

The challenge is upon us to protect and improve on existing public spaces and to bring public-private partnership in developing new ones

Officials from UN-Habitat LCP HUDCC and local government with winners of the Minecrat competition that served as a springboard event of the conference

VP Binay urges city leaders to develop more public spaces

Philippines Country Office UpdatesMarch 2015

Manila Youth Reimagine Luneta for Minecraft Competition on Public SpacesTo encourage youthrsquos participation in designing public spaces UN-Habitat held a one-day Minecraft competition on 25 February 2015 where participants were tasked to redesign Luneta Park A total of 25 participants from various high schools and universities in Metro Manila joined

Pontus Westerberg lrmTransparency and Digital Projects Officer from UN-Habitat headquarters began the event with a brief orientation about UN-Habitatrsquos public space programmes and the characteristics of successful public spaces ldquoBased on our study of cities around the world successful cities have 50 public spacesrdquo he said ldquoOut of these 50 35 are streets while 15 are other public spaces such as libraries parks etcrdquo

Westerberg also emphasized the significance of public involvement in designing and revitalizing public spaces referring to the competition as an opportunity for the youth―a demographic that largely remains unheard―to be more involved in revitalizing historic public spaces such as Rizal Park

The judging panel was comprised of UN-Habitat External Relations Head Thomas Melin Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chairman Francis Tolentino and Housing and

Land Use Regulatory Board Commissioner Linda Hornilla The entries were to be judged based on three criteria safety and security playfulness for children and young people and social interaction between citizens The judges chose one overall winner and one winner for each criterion each winner receiving a cash prize

Noteworthy features of the winning entries were the inclusion of a police station and a hospital and the presence of cable cars

The event was organized by the League of Cities of the Philippines and Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) with assistance from UN-Habitat Philippines

Team Together from Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila win the PHP25k top prize Three criteria winners (safety and security playfulness and social interaction) get a cash prize of PHP10k each

Pontus Westberg from UN-Habitat headquarters in Nairobi with the youth participants of the Minecraft competition on public spaces

Philippines Country Office UpdatesMarch 2015

National Urban Experts Convene to Push Habitat III National Report Further On Road to Completion

The Habitat conferences on housing and sustainable urban development are convened every 20 years to discuss and chart new approaches in response to the challenges and opportunities of urbanization Habitat III is the third conference and is scheduled for October 2016 in Quito Ecuador

As focal national agency for the preparation of the Habitat III national report the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) started the preparation of the Habitat III national report and plan of action as early as April 2014 It conducted regional and sectoral consultations in accordance with the multisectoral and participatory approach espoused by UN-Habitat The resulting product is hoped to be one of collaboration among a broad representation of urban actors who generously contributed their expertise in the sub-committee reports regional and national consultation workshops and expert group meetings and reviews

In early March of this year another expert group meeting was held to gather input and feedback on the latest iteration of the

report One of the obervations raised referred to whether there was a need to reconcile preparing the report in compliance with UN-Habitatrsquos guidelines and thematic areas while making sure that the report extensively and comprehensively reflected the nuances and country-specific urban issues of the Philippines

UN-Habitat country programme manager Cris Rollo elucidated that the guidelines served the purpose of coming up with a uniform template for regional and global consolidation ldquoBut this does not constrain the national committee in coming up with an urban agenda in whatever framework and format it wishes to developrdquo he said ldquoThe process (of developing the national urban agenda) should not be limited to nor be siloed into these thematic areasWe will have the national report that follows the guidelines but we will also have the full report that will contain the very rich discussions and information culled throughout from the consultations and expert group meetingsrdquo

Multiple valuable insights and considerations were expressed that helped inform and further

Opening remarks by HUDCC Chair Cecilia Alba

refine the current draft of the national report as it nears its final stages Some of these interesting insights included considering how unique urbanization is for an archipelago the need for a greater appreciation of the strides that government has taken since Habitat II and the need to address the differentiated issues of both cities and rural areas as part of urbanization as a national process

Philippines Country Office UpdatesMarch 2015

Wersquod love to get your feedback

You may email our communications specialist at jeninaalliunhabitatorg

P H I L I P P I N E S

OR JOIN US ONLINE

Philippines Country Office UpdatesMarch 2015

National Urban Experts Convene to Push Habitat III National Report Further On Road to Completion

The Habitat conferences on housing and sustainable urban development are convened every 20 years to discuss and chart new approaches in response to the challenges and opportunities of urbanization Habitat III is the third conference and is scheduled for October 2016 in Quito Ecuador

As focal national agency for the preparation of the Habitat III national report the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) started the preparation of the Habitat III national report and plan of action as early as April 2014 It conducted regional and sectoral consultations in accordance with the multisectoral and participatory approach espoused by UN-Habitat The resulting product is hoped to be one of collaboration among a broad representation of urban actors who generously contributed their expertise in the sub-committee reports regional and national consultation workshops and expert group meetings and reviews

In early March of this year another expert group meeting was held to gather input and feedback on the latest iteration of the

report One of the obervations raised referred to whether there was a need to reconcile preparing the report in compliance with UN-Habitatrsquos guidelines and thematic areas while making sure that the report extensively and comprehensively reflected the nuances and country-specific urban issues of the Philippines

UN-Habitat country programme manager Cris Rollo elucidated that the guidelines served the purpose of coming up with a uniform template for regional and global consolidation ldquoBut this does not constrain the national committee in coming up with an urban agenda in whatever framework and format it wishes to developrdquo he said ldquoThe process (of developing the national urban agenda) should not be limited to nor be siloed into these thematic areasWe will have the national report that follows the guidelines but we will also have the full report that will contain the very rich discussions and information culled throughout from the consultations and expert group meetingsrdquo

Multiple valuable insights and considerations were expressed that helped inform and further

Opening remarks by HUDCC Chair Cecilia Alba

refine the current draft of the national report as it nears its final stages Some of these interesting insights included considering how unique urbanization is for an archipelago the need for a greater appreciation of the strides that government has taken since Habitat II and the need to address the differentiated issues of both cities and rural areas as part of urbanization as a national process

Philippines Country Office UpdatesMarch 2015

Wersquod love to get your feedback

You may email our communications specialist at jeninaalliunhabitatorg

P H I L I P P I N E S

OR JOIN US ONLINE

Philippines Country Office UpdatesMarch 2015

Wersquod love to get your feedback

You may email our communications specialist at jeninaalliunhabitatorg

P H I L I P P I N E S

OR JOIN US ONLINE