The Philippines is now officially a member of the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, an alliance to strengthen infrastructure and protect communities from the extremes of climate change, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Friday.
“Today, the Philippines officially joins the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, giving us greater access to global expertise, innovative solutions and partnerships to build infrastructure that can withstand disasters and protect Filipino communities for generations to come,” he said in a Facebook post.
“The Filipino ‘bayanihan’ spirit will always be our greatest strength. But resilience must also be built into the roads, bridges, communication systems and public buildings that our people depend on every day,” Marcos went on.
On Saturday, the President met with CDRI officials on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) Summit in New Delhi, India.
The Philippines is the 71st member of the global coalition and is the second Southeast Asian country to join CRDI after Vietnam.
Membership in the coalition would allow the Philippines to benefit from the expertise and best practices of other nations in disaster-resilient infrastructure.
The Philippines’ membership is part of the Philippines-India Strategic Partnership and is in support of the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028, National Adaptation Plan 2023-2050, and National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plan 2020-2030.
In 2019, India launched the CDRI as a voluntary, non-binding global partnership to boost infrastructure against calamities and climate change.