The Resilience Exchange (REX) Forum 2026 was held on September 2–3 at Citadines Bay City, Manila, bringing together representatives from the Australian Government, national and local government agencies, development partners, civil society, academia, and the private sector to strengthen collaboration, exchange knowledge and good practices, and advance disaster and climate resilience
Organized under the Strengthening Institutions and Empowering Localities Against Disasters and Climate Change (SHIELD) Programme with support from the Australian Government, the forum was implemented by UNDP Philippines alongside consortium partners Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), National Resilience Council Foundation (NRF), Consortium of Bangsamoro Civil Society (CBCS), and United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN Habitat), together with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).
Formerly the SHIELD Annual Stakeholders’ Forum, the event was rebranded as the Resilience Exchange Forum to reflect a shift toward a broader, more sustainable platform for resilience learning, knowledge exchange, collaboration, and collective action beyond the program lifecycle.
The forum showcased proven resilience tools such as the Provincial Climate Risk Diagnostics (PCRD), Value Chain Analysis, Business Continuity Planning, Sambayanihan, and resilience financing tools while facilitating policy dialogue, partnership building, and investment discussions. The forum also aimed to show how these tools shaped real-world planning, investment, policy, and partnership decisions at the local level. It sought to support the replication and expansion of effective resilience models, reinforce cross-sector partnerships, and identify ways to embed resilience approaches within government systems. Additionally, it aimed to produce concrete commitments, investment pipelines, and action plans that would carry beyond the forum.
CBCS supported the engagement of the Ministry of the Interior and Local Government (MILG), the Provincial Government of Maguindanao del Norte, and local government partners from the Iranun Corridor, particularly the municipalities of Barira, Buldon, Matanog, and Parang.
One of the key highlights of the event was the presentation of BARMM resilience and development planning outputs supported through SHIELD, including the Iranun Corridor Strategic Plan, the Bangsamoro Disaster Preparedness Plan, and the Bangsamoro Spatial Development Framework. Local Chief Executives from the Iranun Corridor also shared their support and reflections on strengthening and operationalizing resilience planning in their respective communities.
The Iranun Corridor further participated in the forum’s project pitching session through the presentation of its proposal for the IDC Coconut Cooking Oil Refinery to various funding donors, delivered by Sultan Saipona Zaman, Executive Director of the Iranun Corridor Council.
The REX Forum underscored the importance of sustained collaboration among government, development partners, civil society, and local stakeholders in advancing practical and locally responsive resilience actions.
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