Baguio City has been chosen as one of the city beneficiaries of the Green and Resilient Cities Project, a global project that aims to “advance integrated and systems-based approaches to enhance biodiversity and promote nature-based solutions and low-carbon urban development.”
Mayor Benjamin Magalong announced this development on Feb. 11, 2026 after receiving confirmation from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB) Assistant Director Mariglo Rosaida Laririt.
Laririt, in a letter to the mayor, said the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Council has approved the Green and Resilient Cities Project under its 8th Replenishment Cycle, with an overall project cost of approximately USD 13 million.
The project, which will be implemented by the United Nations Development Programme and executed by the BMB, aims to promote integrated and systems-based approaches to biodiversity conservation, nature-based solutions and low-carbon urban development in selected Philippine cities, including Baguio City.
Laririt noted the City Government’s active participation in stakeholder consultations and follow-up meetings during the project development phase which she said helped shape the project design and ensure its responsiveness to local needs and priorities.
The mayor expressed his appreciation for the city’s inclusion in the project saying it will help set in motion the nature-based solutions that the city has conceived to address environmental and biodiversity issues.
“This is a big boost to our efforts towards attaining sustainability and resiliency and ultimately increase our carrying capacity and stunt urban decay which has been our ultimate objective,” the mayor said.
He tasked the City Environment and Parks Management Office, City Planning Development and Sustainability Office and City Administrator’s Office to coordinate with the BMB and UNDP to ensure the successful implementation of the Green and Resilient Cities Project.
The Global Environment Facility (GEF) is a multilateral environmental fund that provides grants and blended finance for projects related to biodiversity, climate change, international waters, land degradation, persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and other environmental causes. – Aileen P. Refuerzo
