The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has launched in Surigao del Norte its resilience and sustainability program dubbed “TRANSFORM” (Transdisciplinary Approach for Resilient and Sustainable Communities) to boost the delivery of environmental, social, and economic gains for local government units nationwide.
Earlier, the DENR successfully launched TRANSFORM in Ormoc City, Leyte last Jan. 18.
The agency rolled out the project in three Surigao del Norte towns—Malimono, San Francisco and Burgos, deemed worst-hit by typhoon “Odette” in 2021.
In a January 2022 report by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, a total of 2,552,312 families across 38 provinces in CARAGA Region were affected just within hours of Odette’s landfall.
These municipalities incurred massive damages in infrastructure, houses and livelihood, and suffered severe and long-term effects.
Environment Secretary Ma. Antonia Loyzaga said to engage the whole of society, the DENR has collaborated with the local government units (LGUs), the National Resilience Council, the Philippine Business for Social Progress, Peace and Equity Foundation, the Zuellig Family Foundation and the Energy Development Corp. to undertake Project TRANSFORM.
The project was meant to help the LGUs create resilient systems to mitigate socio-economic disasters due to climate and disaster risks and poor environmental conditions.