The Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) and the Philippine Atmospheric,
Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) have joined hands
to lead the establishment of an impact-based forecasting and early warning system,
to enable communities take better pre-emptive measures against natural calamities.
The “Multi-Hazard Impact-Based Forecasting and Early Warning System for the
Philippines” or the “IBF-Ph Project” is supported by a $10-million grant from the
Green Climate Fund (GCF) and $12 million in co-financing from PAGASA, under the
Department of Science and Technology (DOST).
The IBF-Ph Project aims to address the challenges related to climate hazards by
communicating what the weather “will do” rather than what the weather “will be.” It
will combine the best available science and local knowledge on forecasting and risk
assessment, instead of generating standardized information based on thresholds and
lead times.
The IBF-Ph Project will run until 2027, with the end goal of institutionalizing impact-
based forecasting and integrating early warnings into investment and policy
decisions. It will be piloted in the disaster-prone areas of Palo, Leyte; New Bataan,
Davao de Oro; Tuguegarao City, Cagayan; and Legazpi City, Albay.
“LANDBANK welcomes the opportunity of working with PAGASA and other
development partners to advance sustainable finance and contribute to addressing
the challenges of climate change. We look forward to the successful implementation
of the IBF-Ph Project, as part of our broader thrust of promoting sustainable
development,” said LANDBANK President and CEO Cecilia Cayosa Borromeo.
GCF Mitigation and Adaptation Division Director Dr. German Velasquez, along with
Science and Technology Secretary Renato U. Solidum Jr. and PAGASA Administrator
Dr. Vicente B. Malano, led the national launch of the IBF-Ph Project on 26 April 2023
at the Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria Hotel in Ortigas Center, Quezon City.
They were joined by Interior and Local Government Director Edgar Allan B. Tabell,
Climate Change Commission Assistant Secretary Romell Antonio O. Cuenca, Office of
Civil Defense Administrator Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno, PAGASA Deputy
Administrator Dr. Esperanza O. Cayanan, and LANDBANK Vice President Esperanza
N. Martinez.
Also present were World Food Programme Country Director Brenda Barton,
Tuguegarao City Mayor Maila Rosario Ting-Que, Legazpi City Mayor Carmen
Geraldine B. Rosal, Palo Mayor Remedios L. Petilla, and other local development
partners.
The IBF-Ph Project is the very first GCF-approved project in the country, with
PAGASA as the lead executing entity and LANDBANK serving as a Direct Access
Entity (DAE) to ensure that the project is compliant with GCF policies and standards.
Other project implementors are the Department of Interior and Local Government
(DILG), Office of Civil Defense (OCD), Department of Environment and Natural
Resources – Mines and Geosciences Bureau (DENR-MGB), the United Nations’ World
Food Programme (WFP), and the local government units of Tuguegarao City,
Legazpi City, Palo in Leyte, and New Bataan in Davao de Oro.
Project collaborators include the National Economic and Development Authority
(NEDA), Department of Finance (DOF), Climate Change Commission (CCC), and the
Philippine Commission on Women (PCW).
