THE Philippines has secured its first Adaptation Fund-financed project worth $10 million to strengthen community resilience to climate change impacts in Tawi-Tawi, the Department of Finance (DOF) announced in a statement on Wednesday.
The DOF said the project, titled “Harnessing the Water-Energy-Food Nexus to Address and Adapt to Climate Change Impacts in Tawi-Tawi,” aims to help communities secure climate-resilient water access by strengthening the adaptive capacity of the municipalities of Sibutu and Sitangkai.
The financing was secured during the Adaptation Fund Board’s 44th meeting in Bonn, Germany on April 8 to 11, 2025.
The Adaptation Fund is an international financial mechanism under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. It provides funds for projects and programs that help vulnerable communities in developing countries adapt to climate change.
PH’s first access to Adaptation Fund
“This project is not only the country’s first access to the Adaptation Fund. It is, more importantly, an assertion of our promise that no Filipino will be left behind in our nation’s pursuit of climate resilience and sustainable development,” DOF Secretary Ralph Recto said in the statement.
“By placing communities like Tawi-Tawi at the forefront of global climate financing, we are doubling down on our commitment to ensure that we uplift the lives of every Filipino, especially those most at risk,” he added.
The project will be implemented through various components throughout its lifespan of four years. This includes deploying resilient water supply systems integrated with existing renewable energy infrastructure in Tawi-Tawi, boosting local capacity for sustainable water management, building the local communities’ resilience and strengthening their livelihoods, and providing knowledge management to scale up the project’s activities in the Philippines.
Addressing climate change’s impact
The DOF said the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), as the designated authority of the Adaptation Fund, shepherded the development of the project with other relevant stakeholders to ensure that climate change’s adverse impact and risks to the water management sector in the Tawi-Tawi province are adequately addressed.
The project will be implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization and the Mindanao Development Authority.
“This project is fully aligned with our National Adaptation Plan, which emphasizes securing food supply while nurturing our natural resources and sustaining livelihoods as one of our core strategies in our fight against climate change,” Environment Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo Loyzaga said.
The environment chief added that the project showcases how the water-energy-food nexus recognizes the interconnectedness of vital resources and leads to more effective climate solutions.
