Community resilience anchored on innovative local governance
unconnected.org highlighted connectEMERGENCIES in the recently concluded forum entitled Reimagining Local Governance: Digital Transformation for Local Development.
connectEMERGENCIES is a collaborative engagement with Internet Society Foundation, and emergency telecommunications partners in the government including the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), the Bangsamoro Information and Communications Technology Office (BICTO), and private sector partners Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF) and Asia Pacific Alliance for Disaster Management - Philippines (APAD PH).
The event was hosted by Center for Research and Communication – Institute for Local Development (CRC-ILD) of the University of Asia and the Pacific, gathering high-level participants from local government units (LGUs), key national government agencies (NGAs), civil society organizations (CSOs), academia, and development partners to discuss how digital tools and approaches have strengthened local governance, and how these practical solutions and scalable models can be adopted by LGUs across the country.
unconnected.org contributed to the session focused on More Resilient Local Governance: Digital Tools for Emergency Response, describing the impact of connectEMERGENCIES to remote communities across the Philippines, by providing resilient communication systems in disaster zones and high-risk areas especially in remote schools.
unconnected.org also set up a booth to showcase connectivity kits which may be availed from the Impact Marketplace, a one-stop-shop for solutions in connecting the unconnected, from which LGUs can explore and learn firsthand. The booth was open to local government officials, students, and other participants throughout the event, encouraging direct engagement and practical knowledge-sharing.
According to CRC-ILD, LGUs are at the frontline of disaster response, yet many continue to face significant challenges in maintaining reliable and timely communications during emergencies and natural disasters, particularly in remote and vulnerable areas.
The connectEMERGENCIES program is a significant initiative led by a non-profit that brought together public and private sectors, strengthening emergency communications, improving coordination and supporting informed decision-making at the local level, by establishing disaster communications hubs at remote schools.
Strengthening digital emergency communications is critical not only for saving lives, but also for building more resilient local governance systems and protecting long-term development gains through digital transformation, as pointed out by CRC-ILD.
