Written By: Jose Francisco “Joko” Santiago
PASAY CITY – Last November 12, the National Resilience Council (NRC) held the 8th annual Top Leaders Forum with the theme “From Risk to Resilience: Forging Pathways and Milestones.” The event highlighted NRC and the private sector’s partnerships with local government units and academic partners in building more resilient cities in the face of climate change, with private sector leaders and mayors from various cities presenting their various initiatives for resilience. Among the presenters was Mayor Nelson Legacion of Naga City, one of CCARPH’s partner cities.
Increasing engagement of the youth was the goal of the afternoon event: the launch of the Young Leaders for Resilience program. Students from the eight partner cities presented their climate disaster risk reduction innovations to a panel of judges from different sectors, including CCARPH’s Project Leader Dr. Emma Porio. Muntinlupa City, represented by students and faculty of Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Muntinlupa (PLMun) and Colegio de Muntinlupa, bagged the top prize for their Seismo-Power Terminator, a device designed to shut off electricity in the event of an earthquake to prevent fire caused by live electric wires.
Jose Francisco “Joko” Santiago received his bachelor’s degree in Pyschology at University of the Philippines Diliman in 2019, and is currently a Research Assistant in the Coastal Cities at Risk in the Philippines. For comments and suggestions, you may contact him through jfsantiago@ateneo.edu, or CCARPH at ccarph@ateneo.edu
