QUEZON City is about to become the first Asian city to the OASIS Schoolyards program, an initiative developed in Paris, France aiming to will transform selected schools into landscapes resilient to heatwaves and floods.
Mayor Joy Belmonte said the project, to be implemented in partnership with Singapore’s Temasek Foundation, have already chosen three schools in Quezon City.
They are the Diosdado P. Macapagal Elementary School, Manuel L. Quezon Elementary School, and Placido del Mundo Elementary School.
These schools were selected based on their comparative vulnerability to heatwaves and flooding, and availability of open spaces.
“Quezon City is truly honored to be selected as the first city in Asia for the OASIS Schoolyards program supported by Temasek Foundation,” Belmonte said.
“We are committed to tackling climate change and provide a liveable and quality community for all by strengthening the adaptive capacity of our communities and resilience of our natural ecosystems. Inclusive climate action is also integral in the plan development to ensure representation of various sectors including the youth,” she added.
OASIS Schoolyards was originally conceived and implemented by the city of Paris as part of the Paris Resilience Strategy to address the urgent challenges of climate change in urban areas with a focus on mitigating the disproportionate impact on vulnerable communities and improving the well-being of children.
Based on the principles of Openness, Adaptation, Sensitization, Innovation and Social Ties (OASIS), it has become an exemplary model using innovative solutions to transform schoolyards into urban oases resilient to climate change.
Belmonte said the program “resonates with the city government’s vision of urban farming.”
Being a champion of climate action and resilience, she said her administration has committed to transforming schoolyards into green, community spaces that are resilient to both heatwaves and flooding.
The program was launched jointly by the Resilient Cities Network and Temasek Foundation in order to improve quality education for Filipino students while simultaneously addressing the challenges of climate change.