Quezon City’s Intelligent, Resilient, and Integrated Systems for the Urban Population (iRISE UP) which helps communities address the impacts of climate change and manage disaster risks was included in this year’s Top 10 Galing Pook Awardees.

Mayor Joy Belmonte received the award on behalf of the city government during the awarding ceremony led by the Galing Pook Foundation together with the Department of the Interior and Local Government – Local Government Academy and SM Prime Holdings.

The event was attended by DILG Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr., and spearheaded by Galing Pook Foundation Chairperson Mel Sarmiento and Executive Director Ms. Georgina Hernandez-Yang.

“Patuloy na inspirasyon natin sa pagpapatupad ng ating mga programa  ang pagnanais na paglingkuran ng tapat at buong husay ang ating mamamayan. Ang ganitong prestihiyosong parangal ay patunay na tama ang ating tinatahak na direksyon at napapakinabangan ng taumbayan,” Mayor Belmonte said.

“I congratulate all of the local government units and their innovative programs that were recognized in the 2023 Galing Pook Awards. May you serve as an inspiration to our fellow public servants and I hope that all of us will be open to teaching and collaborating on our best practices with other local governments as well,” she added.

In 2020, the city government invested in the RISE UP program in order to establish baseline data that are integrated in the hazards maps. The program shows information on floods, why they occur, and the extent of their potential damage. There are also risk maps that show land use and even the location of vulnerable sectors such as indigent residents, elderly, children, and persons with disabilities (PWDs).

With the help of the project, barangays and communities could conduct pre-disaster risk assessments based on projected impacts which will also help the city government know how prepared the communities are and when they need help.

The iRISE UP is integrated in the QC Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council operations through the QC DRRMC Resolution No. 1, Series of 2020, which adopts the manual of operations for the city’s Emergency Operations Center. To ensure the continuity of the program, the QC Executive-Legislative Agenda includes the institutionalization of iRISE UP into an ordinance.

Furthermore, the data and risk assessments generated from iRISE UP will be used in amending the QC Green Building Code to institutionalize standards that aid in mitigating impacts of climate change.

“Through iRiseUp, we are able to develop a scientific approach to make informed decisions using digital and traditional tools especially when we suspend classes, prepare for camp management, drainage master planning, social housing, and development planning,” QC DRRMO Officer-in-Charge Ms. Maria Bianca Perez said.

These tools include 50 smart weather cameras, 18 rain gauges, two seismic accelerographs, 18 flood sensors, 130 flood markers and 884 units of public address system.

The city government plans to cascade the information from iRISE UP to individuals and households, free of charge, through a mobile and web application. Upon subscription, individuals can receive information about emergency alerts and important City services.

Meanwhile, Galing Pook also recognized as a finalist in this year’s awards another entry of the city government, the QC Birth Registration Online (QC BRO) of the Civil Registry Department. The program aims to provide a more convenient and efficient birth registration process, where lying-in clinics and hospitals can simply encode the entries to the electronic form and upload requirements like the marriage certificates of parents.

As of July 2023, all the birth facilities are registering their births through QC BRO following the passage of SP-3197 or the “The QC BRO Ordinance” in June this year mandating public and private birthing facilities all over the city to use QC BRO.

In 2022, there had been a total of 38,710 births from facilities,  18,446 of which were registered manually, and 19,743 or 51 % were registered using QC BRO. From January to August 2023, there had been a total of 24,247 births from facilities, 18,647 of which or 77% were registered using QC BRO.

“Delayed and unregistered births in QC are a thing of the past because of QC BRO. The right to be recognized as a person before the law is a critical step in ensuring lifelong protection. By providing children with legal proof of identity from day one, their rights can be protected and access to social services are guaranteed,” Mayor Belmonte said. 

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