Over the past two months, six successive tropical cyclones have battered the Philippines, displacing over 2.9 million people, destroying 79,000 homes, schools and health facilities, and causing 174 fatalities.
While the relatively low death toll was attributed to government-led pre-emptive evacuations and disaster management, more than 13 million affected individuals now face the significant burdens of these climate change-induced extreme weather events.
Known for its high vulnerability to climate change, the Philippines has long cultivated a resilient identity. Resilience can be defined as the ability to continue functioning and even thrive amid adversity. This stems from the country’s history, social structures, and cultural values.
However, the legacy of colonialism — including entrenched corruption, racism, patriarchy, and institutional violence — has left enduring scars on Philippine society, manifesting in issues like colourism, a pervasive colonial mentality, and power imbalances between central and peripheral communities.
Compounding this, post-colonial leaders have failed to dismantle inherited inequities, instead perpetuating exploitative colonial systems. Corruption across administrations has eroded public trust and hindered development. “Imperial Manila”, a metonym for the Philippine government, symbolises the national government’s disproportionate centralisation, resource inequality between the capital and provinces, and perceptions of linguistic imperialism.
Elite dominance in politics and the lack of meaningful reforms have hindered efforts to address structural vulnerabilities, leaving communities less equipped to tackle emerging threats like climate change.
Filipinos have adapted to navigate these inequalities. However, Filipino resilience often masks vulnerabilities. Filipino scholars criticise the “romanticisation” of Filipino resilience, arguing that it normalises suffering, fosters “toxic positivity”, and excuses failures of state institutions. How can Filipinos approach crises like climate change without glorifying resilience and avoid framing themselves solely as victims of disasters?
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The Philippines is at a crossroads. While the government has made strides in disaster management, systemic gaps in policy implementation, resource allocation and governance hinder transformative progress.
To reclaim resilience, the present author suggests redefining it to emphasise one’s agency and empowerment during crises. This redefinition envisions Filipino resilience as transformative: promoting a vision of a caring society that integrates care for oneself, others, the environment, and transcendent aspects of life.
Rooted in the values of bayanihan, familism, and kapwa, this perspective frames resilience as a path to sustainable development built on skills, resources, and relationships shared across communities. The author’s recent scholarly articles highlight that with such a transformative vision, the Philippines has the potential to advance its sustainable development goals and climate targets.
By prioritising human rights, good governance, and reforms in education, gender, and other social institutions, Filipino communities can move beyond mere survival and truly flourish.
This reimagining of resilience requires climate action to become a catalyst for positive societal transformation.
First, building resilience in the Philippines requires greater investment and research in renewable energy and resilience innovation to create local jobs in engineering and manufacturing, particularly solar panel production and wind turbine engineering. Investing in sustainable infrastructure like green buildings and renewable energy can modernise urban areas and reduce emissions.
This approach offers the Philippines a chance to leapfrog outdated, polluting systems with digital analytics supporting responsive adaptation. Investment in climate-tech startups can create skilled jobs and positions in the Philippines as a leader in resilience innovation. This shift could boost economic growth, reduce reliance on imported fossil fuels, and curtail brain drain.
The Marcos Jr. administration has announced plans to expand renewable energy sources, yet implementation lags. Key challenges include regulatory bottlenecks and inadequate investment frameworks, leaving the country vulnerable to volatile global energy markets.
Under previous administrations, piecemeal efforts to attract green energy investments failed to create the large-scale transition needed. Without substantial reforms, the economic opportunities of a green transition remain untapped.
Second, a circular economy focused on reuse, repair, and sustainable production can build resilience. This is gaining traction through grassroots efforts and local entrepreneurs in electronics repair and sustainable fashion, but national policies and investments in this area remain limited. Expanding these initiatives could significantly reduce reliance on imports, strengthen environmental resilience, and boost local entrepreneurship.
Third, resilience must integrate climate justice and social equity, particularly by empowering vulnerable groups. Some justice-centred initiatives are already providing clean water in typhoon-prone areas, promoting climate-smart agriculture and resilient food systems, and strengthening economic stability.
Programmes like the UN’s Adaptation Fund have supported climate-resilient water systems, while NGOs such as ActionAid implement community-led farming techniques that withstand extreme weather. However, many initiatives remain prescriptive, as current efforts are insufficient to meet the challenges.
Securing land and resource rights for indigenous groups is a critical, though not fully realised, aspect of climate justice. Stronger legal frameworks and enforcement mechanisms are needed and the government’s approach to climate justice has been inconsistent.
Indigenous communities, often critical stewards of ecosystems, face land encroachments despite laws like the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act. The Marcos Jr. administration has promised stronger protections but has yet to deliver actionable policies.
Fourth, investing in sustainable infrastructure can modernise urban areas and reduce emissions. Urban resilience projects under the current administration focus on sustainable infrastructure, including green buildings and digital analytics for disaster response. However, these initiatives are concentrated in urban centres, neglecting rural and coastal areas most affected by typhoons. Previous administrations emphasised public-private partnerships, but uneven project distribution widened the persistent rural-urban divide.
The Philippines is at a crossroads. While the government has made strides in disaster management, systemic gaps in policy implementation, resource allocation and governance hinder transformative progress. The country lags in scaling up renewable energy, circular economy initiatives, and justice-centred climate programmes.
Resilience is more than an imperative; it is an opportunity. Expanding circular economy initiatives and securing the rights of vulnerable communities can lay a foundation for equitable development. This can only be done by increasing institutional accountability, reforming governance, and empowering communities.
Resilience provides an opportunity for the Philippines to protect its citizens and transform its society into a model of sustainability, equity, and innovation. The challenge is clear and so is the opportunity, which the Philippines must seize if it is to secure its future.
This article was first published in Fulcrum, ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute’s blogsite.
