2025 National Resilience Council (NRC) colloquium keynote message

Delivered by Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo Loyzaga of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), this keynote underscored the theme “From Surviving to Thriving: Transformative Strategies through Multi Stakeholder Partnerships and Innovation.” Secretary Loyzaga, who previously served as the Director of the Manila Observatory at Ateneo de Manila University, emphasized that disasters are not natural but rather social constructs arising from the intersection of physical and social geographies.

Quoting Dr Emma Porio, Professor Emeritus of Sociology (RGL-SOSS), Ateneo de Manila University, she noted, “When physical and social geographies collide, risks emerge,” to illustrate how systemic risk is generated.

Secretary Loyzaga stressed that disaster risk reduction must move beyond emergency response to prevention, translating science into policy and actionable investments. She highlighted the need for disaster forensics to process data into knowledge and action, and recognized the Philippines' historical resilience despite repeated hazards.

Reflecting on the NRC’s origins under leaders like Ambassador Roberto Romulo and Mr Hans Sy, she shared how the Resilient LGU Program and Project TRANSFORM (now active in multiple provinces and municipalities) embody this approach: leveraging multi-stakeholder partnerships, science-based governance, and anticipatory, inclusive, and consultative practices.

She concluded by affirming that true resilience depends on visionary leaders committed to a whole-of-society approach, collaborative partnerships, and continuous learning to address intersecting risks and vulnerabilities.

For more information, visit the NRC page at this link