Iloilo City is showcasing its community-based disaster response and resilience program at an international forum in Incheon, South Korea, where local leaders and experts are discussing ways to address increasingly complex climate and disaster risks.

Mayor Raisa Treñas shared the city’s Iloilo City Action and Resilience (ICARe) Centers during the City Networking Event of the International Disaster Resilience Leaders Forum 2026 on Sept. 7-8.

“During the City Networking Event, I shared about Iloilo City Action and Resilience (ICARe) Centers … highlighting our experiences and best practices on disaster risk reduction, including innovative approaches, partnerships, capacity-building strategies and technologies that can strengthen resilience at the local level,” Treñas said in a social media post Tuesday.

Iloilo City currently has nine operational ICARe facilities that serve as emergency response centers and resilience learning hubs.

They bring together government, communities, the private sector and other stakeholders to plan and coordinate disaster preparedness and response, Treñas said.

She said the city’s experience is particularly relevant as local governments seek more effective ways to prepare for disasters, adapt to climate change and protect communities.

“Among the key discussions are innovative financing for local disaster risk reduction, AI-driven disaster prevention, and risk-informed investments,” Treñas said.

Treñas is the only Filipino local chief executive attending the forum, which brings together local leaders, national government officials, technical experts and representatives of international organizations from Northeast and Southeast Asia.

The forum’s theme, “Translating Locally-led Resilience into Action in the Age of Complex Risk and Digital Transformation,” focuses on turning community-led disaster risk reduction initiatives into concrete action through innovation, technology and partnerships.

Treñas is scheduled to join a training workshop on climate adaptation project preparation on Sept. 9.

The workshop aims to strengthen the capacity of local officials and other stakeholders to develop and finance climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction projects.

The annual forum is organized by the Incheon Institute, United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction Office for Northeast Asia and Global Education and Training Institute, Ministry of the Interior and Safety of the Republic of Korea, ICLEI World Secretariat and Making Cities Resilient 2030. (PNA)