Liveable Cities Philippines, in partnership with Delivery Associates, a global consultancy that works with governments and mission-driven organizations to move from vision to outcome, recently gathered leaders from government, business and civil society for a focused discussion on how cities can move from planning to consistent, measurable delivery of essential services.

“Cities face stronger risks every year, but the solutions are within reach. What matters is execution. When cities strengthen their delivery systems, people feel the results in safer communities and more dependable services,” Guillermo M. Luz, Chair of Liveable Cities Philippines, says in the forum.

“Strong plans are essential, but resilience depends on what happens next. With clear priorities, good data, and the right partners, cities can move from managing crises to building systems that help communities recover faster and thrive over time,” says Laurel Blatchford, Senior Fellow at Delivery Associates via Zoom from Washington.

She shared practical ways that cities around the world turn plans into real results. This includes being a prop active,  spotting problems early, being clear about who is doing what, and checking in regularly to stay on track. Blatchford adds these simple habits help leaders focus on what truly matters for their communities and build systems that keep working even as circumstances or leadership change.

In a powerful display of corporate synergy, Ayala conglomerate subsidiaries ACEN Corp. and Globe Telecom have outlined a comprehensive roadmap for climate action and disaster resilience. The strategy, presented by senior leadership, focuses on a dual-track approach: aggressively transitioning to renewable energy to mitigate climate change while “hardening” critical infrastructure to survive the Philippines’ increasingly volatile weather patterns.

Miguel Fernandez, senior vice president and head of operations at ACEN (formerly AC Energy), says it is now a leader in the renewable space, driven by the philosophy that clean energy is the first line of defense against climate disasters. “The transition to renewable energy is instrumental in preventing these disasters in the first place,” Fernandez stated. He revealed ACEN’s ambitious goal to reach 20 gigawatts (GW) of renewable capacity within the next 5 to 10 years.

To manage the operational risks of this transition, ACEN has implemented a sophisticated three-tiered incident management system:

• Level 1-3 Response: A scalable framework designed to address everything from minor technical glitches to full-scale national emergencies.
• Rotating Rosters: Ensuring the incident management team is always fresh and ready for immediate deployment.
• Community Integration: Close collaboration with local government units (LGUs) to ensure energy security during calamities.

Fernandez drew on the company’s experience during Typhoon Odette, noting that ACEN utilized helicopters to bypass destroyed roads to deliver essential supplies and financial aid to devastated communities.

Building ‘hardened’ networks for the future

Parallel to ACEN’s energy shift, Globe Telecom is focusing on “physical hardening” and decentralized power. As the first Philippine publicly listed company with approved net-zero targets, Globe is reimagining how a telecom network survives a super typhoon.

“During a massive typhoon, the grid is often the first thing to fail,” says Jayme Maniti, senior manager, head of operational management risk management, Globe Telecom explains. To combat this, she says Globe is shifting toward decentralized power sources like solar, making cell sites less dependent on the vulnerable national grid.

Key pillars of Globe’s resilience strategy include:

• Extreme Tower Engineering: Redesigning and retrofitting towers to withstand wind speeds of up to 340 kph, significantly exceeding current industry standards.​
• Strategic Foresight: A three-step process involving deep scenario analysis, community impact assessment, and mitigation.
• Emergency Communication: Partnering with the NDRRMC to deploy geo-targeted SMS warnings and cell broadcasts to save lives in real-time.

A Call for radical collaboration

The presentation concluded with a call for stronger public-private partnerships. Beyond infrastructure, the Ayala Group is looking toward social impact, including potential collaborations with the Department of Education (DepEd) to pilot micro-solar power models in “last-mile” or off-grid schools.

“Our call to action today is simple,” the presentation noted. “Let us formalize and strengthen the mechanism for collaboration. With Globe [and ACEN], let’s go forward together.”

Luz says Liveable Cities Philippines emphasizes the importance of partnerships that bring national agencies, city governments, schools and private utilities together. Stronger collaboration, better data sharing and clearer processes allow cities to respond faster, avoid delays and keep essential services running during crises, according to Luz.