Forum to highlight importance of multi-stakeholder partnerships in building resilient communities in the face of natural and man-made calamities
Cebuana Lhuillier Foundation, Inc. (CLFI), the corporate social responsibility arm of micro financial services giant Cebuana Lhuillier, is holding its second Barangay Resilience Exchange 2022 (BRX2022) Online Conference from October 13 to 14, streamed live via CLFI’s Facebook page. The conference is free and open to the public.
The first and only digital conference of its kind in the Philippines, BRX2022 provides a platform where local communities can share best practices, as well as connect community leaders, multi-sectoral groups, and private organizations for much-needed support in times of emergencies and natural disasters.
Bannering the theme “Ang Handang Barangay, Mahusay!”, this year’s forum highlights the importance of collaboration and coordination among the government, private organizations, NGOs, and the community to survive and thrive in times of major calamities.
“Cebuana Lhuillier has always prided itself for its commitment towards helping Filipinos lead better lives—whether through our call towards financial inclusion or through our CSR programs designed to empower Filipinos. Disaster Resilience is one of our main thrusts as it impacts the safety, security, and livelihood of the very communities we serve. Through BRX2022 and with the help of our partner institutions, our hope is that our barangay leaders will get valuable learnings that they can use in times of emergencies,” shares Jean Henri Lhuillier, president & CEO of Cebuana Lhuillier.
Jonathan Batangan, First Vice President & CLFI Executive Director, adds, “The second staging of BRX2022 continues CLFI’s thrust in promoting the importance of public-private and community collaboration. We are lucky to have gotten the support of the government, as well as the organizations who lead the way when it comes to disaster preparedness, mitigation, response, rehabilitation, and recovery encompassing the disaster risk reduction and management value chain”.
With the support of the government through the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), this year’s BRX Forum offers two days of online learning courtesy of the number of agencies who signed up to share their knowledge. Leading its roster of speakers are DILG Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr., and Secretary Renato Solidum of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). Also sharing their expertise for the first day of the two-day event include Dr. Alfredo Mahar Lagmay, Executive Director of UP Resilience Institute, Joy Santiago, EnP of the UP NOAH Center, Dr. Jojo Sayson, President & Founder of Project Michael Angelo Foundation, Usec. Raymundo Ferrer from the Office of the Civil Defense of the Department of National Defense, and Felix Ayque, Founder & CEO of Komunidad.
The second day of BRX will feature talks from Dr. Teofredo Esguerra from the Energy Development Corporation, as well as live interviews featuring disaster resilience advocates, local community leaders from across the country and panel discussions with representatives from Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF), German Cooperation Agency (GIZ), Globe Telecom, SM Supermalls, Oxfam , Sagip Kapamilya, Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Offices, Cebuana Lhuillier Insurance Brokers, among others.
Interested parties and community leaders keen to be a part of the discussion are encouraged to register via https://cebuanafoundation.org/brx-barangay-resilience-exchange/.
