Mayor Raisa Puts Iloilo City’s ICARE Centers on Global Stage in Korea

Mayor Raisa S. Treñas put Iloilo City’s disaster resilience initiatives on the global stage as she presented the city’s Iloilo City Action and Resilience (ICARe) Centers at the International Disaster Resilience Leaders Forum (IDRLF) 2026 in Incheon, Republic of Korea.

Treñas was the only local chief executive from the Philippines attending the international forum held from September 7 to 8, which brought together local leaders, national government officials, technical experts, and international organizations from Northeast and Southeast Asia and beyond.

During the City Networking Event, Treñas showcased Iloilo City’s ICARe Centers alongside presentations from officials representing Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Korea, and Thailand.

Iloilo City currently has nine operational ICARe facilities. Originally developed to strengthen emergency response at the district level, the centers have evolved into resilience learning hubs where government, communities, the private sector, and other stakeholders can work together in disaster preparedness, planning, capacity building, and response.

The presentation gave Iloilo City an opportunity to share its locally developed approach to disaster risk reduction while learning from the experiences and best practices of other cities facing growing climate and disaster risks.

The IDRLF serves as an annual platform for exchanging practical solutions and lessons on strengthening local and urban resilience.

This year’s forum carried the theme, “Translating Locally-led Resilience into Action in the Age of Complex Risk and Digital Transformation,” highlighting how disaster risk reduction can be implemented effectively at the local level amid increasingly complex risks and rapid technological change.

Discussions focused on innovative financing for local disaster risk reduction, artificial intelligence-driven disaster prevention, and risk-informed investments.

The forum was co-organized by the Incheon Institute and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) Office for Northeast Asia and Global Education and Training Institute (ONEA & GETI), with support from the Republic of Korea’s Ministry of the Interior and Safety and in partnership with the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat.

Following the forum, Treñas was also set to participate in the Training Workshop on Climate Adaptation Project Preparation: Converting Ideas into Fundable Projects on September 9.

The one-day workshop, organized by UNDRR ONEA & GETI together with the ICLEI World Secretariat and Making Cities Resilient 2030, aims to strengthen the capacity of local government officials and key stakeholders to develop and finance climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction projects.

Iloilo City’s participation in the international gathering highlights how locally developed initiatives such as the ICARe Centers can contribute to the wider exchange of practical strategies for building safer and more resilient communities.