SDG 11: Sustainable Cities & Communities

Iligan City is a highly urbanized city known for its rich cultural heritage and economic significance, which includes, steel, cement, and natural hazards, including typhoons, floods, landslides, and earthquakes. These hazards pose significant risks to the community’s safety, well-being, and economic stability. One of the worst flood incidents experienced in the city was when Typhoon Washi (Sendong) hit the area, which affected 22,522 families; 1,800 families were catered in the evacuation centers, 4,511 individuals were injured, 566 people were missing, 666 persons died and 224 of whom were identified. 

The introduction of Adopt-A-City Program initiated by the National Resiliency Council (NRC) to Iligan City is a timely response to these challenges to enhance and transform Iligan City into a Disaster-Resilient city through a comprehensive and collaborative approach.

The primary focus of this project is the completion of the resilience scorecard, a tool designed to assess and improve the city’s preparedness and response capabilities. By leveraging the expertise and resources of the local government, private sector, and academic institutions, this project aims to build a Disaster-Resilient city that can effectively mitigate, respond to, and recover from natural disasters.

The rationale for this study focuses on addressing the increasing frequency and severity of natural disasters affecting Iligan City. Despite the existing disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) efforts, gaps in preparedness, response, and recovery must be addressed to ensure the community’s safety and resilience.

In a significant step towards sustainable aquaculture and inclusive urban development, the project titled “Implementation and Installation of Water Quality Monitoring System for Sultan Kudarat Provincial Freshwater Demonstration Fish Farm and Nursery” was successfully carried out under the leadership of Faith Q. Baldonado. The initiative aims to enhance environmental monitoring, improve food security, and support local livelihoods through science-based interventions.