Mayor Abby Binay is determined to make Makati City a model for other local governments in formulating disaster risk reduction and climate action plans.

She said Makati can become the first resilience hub in the Philippines and Southeast Asia.

CityNet, the largest association of urban stakeholders committed to sustainable development in the Asia Pacific region, recently chose Makati City to lead in the next four years.

Makati was previously First Vice President City since 2018 and Second Vice President since 2010.

“Pinalad ang Makati na muling mahalal bilang (Makati is also lucky to have been elected as the) Vice President ng (of the) CityNet para sa taong (for the years) 2023-2026, kasama ang lungsod ng (with the city of) Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia,” Binay said in her tabloid column #ProudMakatizen.

Makati City is likewise the National Cluster President of CityNet in the Philippines.

Binay said Makati City achieved such feats because of its frequent sharing of resilient and sustainable plans in international seminars and fora.

“Tumutulong din tayo sa ibang mga lungsod para makapagsimula rin silang gumawa ng sarili nilang mga programa at plano para maging handa sa mga (We are also helping other cities to start creating their own programs and plans to be prepared in) disasters and emergencies,” Binay added.

She thanked CityNet for its trust in Makati to lead and serve the organization and vowed to continue helping other local government units to be disaster-ready, sustainable, and resilient.

CityNet was established in 1987 with the support of the United Nations and gathered a network of 110 cities, 173 municipalities, non-governmental organizations, private companies, and research centers.

Under the Valley Fault System, a potential generator of a large magnitude of earthquake in the National Capital Region is located on the eastern part of Makati.

Six villages are identified as high-risk areas while in the western portion, there are seven flood-prone villages

The Makati City Disaster Coordinating Council is the lead agency in disaster response, a specialized task group for the coordination of disaster-reduction policies and strategies among the national, regional, and city levels. (PNA)