BAGUIO CITY — The local government here is gearing up to partner with civil society organizations, as well as private and religious institutions, to ensure the city's resilience against climate change.

Recently, members of the city council passed a resolution authorizing the mayor's office to enter into a memorandum of agreement with the private entities like the Adventist Development and Relief Agency Deutschland E.V. and the Jaime V. Ongpin Foundation Inc.

The MoA on climate change resilience, innovation and sustainability will be submitted to the city council for confirmation.

Dubbed the Resilience, Innovation, Sustainability and Empowerment or RISE-Benguet project, the undertaking will draw from the success and lessons of prior initiatives in disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation.

It seeks to deepen the role of civil society organizations in climate change mitigation efforts, specifically in Baguio City, La Trinidad, Itogon, Sablan, Tuba and Tublay.

"This initiative stands aligned with the overarching objective to enhance the resilience of communities facing risks, empowering them to adapt, mitigate, and effectively manage the consequences of disaster and climate change," the resolution stated.

The council resolution stressed the need for the active engagement of CSOs in public decision-making processes and the cultivation of robust social accountability mechanisms.