Agusan del Norte’s provincial government and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) Thursday to build institutional and community resilience programs and services in the province.
The MOU signing, held in this city, was led by Governor Maria Angelica Rosedell Amante and UNDP deputy resident representative Edwine Carrie as witnessed by Vice Governor Enrico Corvera and municipal mayors of the province.
The agreement aims to enhance the capacities of the local government units (LGUs) in disaster response and climate change and will be implemented through the SHIELD program spearheaded by the UNDP, its partners, and the Australian government.
SHIELD, which stands for Strengthening Institutions and Empowering Localities Against Disasters and Climate Change, currently covers 11 provinces that are considered most vulnerable to disasters and climate change.
Under the MOU, both parties will pursue cooperation in the implementation of informed and inclusive resilience actions, including risk-based land use and development planning, budgeting, and investment programming.
The parties will also develop bankable project proposals for climate and disaster-relevant activities, and establish multi-stakeholder partnerships in the planning, implementation, and monitoring of resilience actions.
For the next six years, the partnership is also expected to establish data ecosystems to support risk-informed planning, resource allocation, and decision-making processes, as well as the establishment of monitoring, evaluation, and learning systems.
“The expertise and guidance of the UNDP, through the SHIELD under this MOU, will help us in our disaster response efforts, especially in the formulation and implementation of climate-resilience programs and services,” Amante said in her message during the signing activity.
She also urged the municipal mayors to study the content of the MOU and appoint a focal person who would focus on the implementation of the SHIELD program in their localities.
Amante thanked the UNDP, the Australian government, and partner agencies for making Agusan del Norte one of the provinces to benefit from the program. (PNA)
