Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. has expressed gratitude for Germany’s continuing support to his agency’s development initiatives, saying he looks forward to more meaningful engagements in digitalization, tourism, and other projects.
In a recent meeting with German Ambassador to the Philippines Anke Reiffenstuel in Camp Crame, Abalos said over the years, the German government has been extending a helping hand to the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) through technical support and capacity-building interventions to enhance the capability of local government units in service delivery.
“The German government has always been generous and supportive of our developmental efforts in the DILG. We are hopeful that our partnership will further blossom to give way to more productive undertakings,” Abalos said.
Abalos also said he hopes to explore potential cooperation with the German government in areas such as sustainable development, digitalization, innovation, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges.
One of the technical assistance projects in the pipeline is the Integrated Urban Climate-Action for Low-Carbon and Resilient Cities which will be funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action.
The DILG will be the lead implementing agency of this project which supports the transformation of cities towards low-carbon and resilient urban development.
Other projects supported by the German government through the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit includes the Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan Pillar 1, the Sustainable Integrated Management and Planning for Local Government Ecosystems, and the Mindanao Peace and Development Program.