A proposed University of the Philippines climate resilience institute is being pushed in the House of Representatives to help the country better prepare for stronger typhoons, floods, droughts, extreme heat, and other disasters linked to climate change.
House Speaker Faustino “Bojie” G. Dy III said the planned UP-National Climate Resilience Institute (UP-NCRI) would serve as a permanent center for science, data, innovation, and policy support as the Philippines faces worsening climate risks.
The House Committee on Higher and Technical Education, jointly with the House Committee on Climate Change, has approved the substitute bill creating the UP-NCRI, which aims to strengthen the country’s disaster preparedness and climate resilience programs.
Dy said climate change is no longer a distant threat, but a present danger already affecting communities, livelihoods, and public safety across the country.
“Taun-taon nating nararanasan ang mas malalakas na bagyo, mas matitinding pagbaha, tagtuyot, at iba pang epekto ng climate change. Kung nais nating maprotektahan ang ating mga komunidad at kabuhayan, kailangan nating paghusayin ang ating kakayahang magplano, maghanda, at tumugon gamit ang pinakamahusay na siyensiya at datos,” Dy said.
He said the proposed institute would help national agencies and local governments make better decisions before disasters strike by giving them access to research, risk data, technical tools, and expert guidance.
“Hindi man natin kayang pigilan ang mga bagyo o iba pang natural na kalamidad, kaya naman nating bawasan ang kanilang epekto kung mas mahusay ang ating kaalaman, paghahanda, at koordinasyon,” Dy said.
The measure seeks to build on UP’s work in disaster risk reduction, climate adaptation, and resilience science, including efforts carried out through the UP Resilience Institute and the UP NOAH Center after Project NOAH ended as a national government program in 2017.
UP President Angelo A. Jimenez told lawmakers that resilience work cannot depend only on short-term projects or temporary grants.
“In this environment, resilience cannot be treated as a temporary project. It must become a permanent national commitment,” Jimenez said.
He said the proposed institute would help preserve the country’s investments in resilience science and ensure that communities, local governments, and public agencies receive the tools and data they need to anticipate risks before disasters happen.
“These efforts have demonstrated something important: science saves lives when it reaches the people who need it most,” Jimenez said.
Jimenez added that climate change and disaster risks do not pause when funding cycles end, making a permanent institution necessary to sustain long-term preparedness.
“The question is not whether we can afford to invest in resilience. The question is whether we can afford not to,” he said.
The proposed UP-NCRI is envisioned as a national hub for research, capacity-building, innovation, and science-based policymaking to help the Philippines reduce disaster losses and protect vulnerable communities.