Vice President Jejomar C. Binay assured the World Bank that President Benigno Aquino’s administration is committed to integrate disaster risk adaptation and mitigation measures in its national development agenda.

                  “With Makati setting the pace, the Philippine government is determined to climate-proof its development plans and pursue a more ambitious DRRM [disaster risk reduction and management] program,” Binay said during his keynote address at the World Bank Sustainable Development Network (SDN) Annual Meeting in Washington D.C.

                  The World Bank invited Binay to talk on disaster risk management and on urban development given his capacity as former mayor of Makati and as chair of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC).

                  In a primer published in 2008, the Bank named Makati as one of the Climate Resilient Cities because of its “strong institutional mechanisms for facilitating action on climate change and disaster risk management.”

                  Binay, who has been mayor of Makati for 24 years, cited the city’s participatory management as a major factor in its success in planning and implementing disaster risk adaptation and mitigation programs.

                  “Leadership is shared, and bottom-up initiatives are encouraged to travel all the way up. Everyone gets to have a say in how the program will achieve optimum results. This frame of management is vital and its long-term benefits cannot be overstated,” he said.

                  Binay also acknowledged the vital role of Makati residents as “the government’s first ally and resource” in disaster risk management initiatives.

                  “They must not only participate but ultimately own such activity. This means going down to the grassroots through the smallest political subdivision, the barangay, and showing them that programs work best when people identify themselves with the programs,” Binay added.

                  In his previous speeches, the Vice President expressed his commitment to replicate the Makati experience in the national level. He said he is willing to share his experiences and knowledge with President Aquino in support to the latter’s vision for the country.

                  The World Bank holds an annual SDN Week as a venue for its SDN members worldwide to interact and share knowledge on innovative developments in the different sectors covered by the Network.

                  While in the United States, Binay will attend the National Prayer Breakfast, an annual interfaith event which will be graced by US President Barack Obama and other dignitaries around the globe.

                  He is also scheduled to meet with top US government housing and human trafficking officials to discuss and enlist their support on the policies and programs that the Philippine government is undertaking.

                  Furthermore, Binay will visit the White House, go to see two HOPE IV public housing sites, confer with Habitat for Humanity officials, meet with Filipino-American businessmen and hold a dialogue with the Filipino community.