The People’s Survival Fund (PSF) Board, led by the Department of Finance (DOF), has officially rolled out the nationwide PSF Caravan starting in Mindanao to equip local government units (LGUs) with the tools, knowledge, and confidence they need to access climate finance and deliver locally-led adaptation projects.

“The purpose of this caravan is to help fast-track and scale up local governments’ access to the Fund. And because the PSF provides long-term finance specifically for local adaptation projects, it has the power to shape communities’ resilience and save lives. The DOF is ready to do the handholding to ensure that the funds go to the right projects,” DOF Chief of Staff and Undersecretary Maria Luwalhati Dorotan Tiuseco said.

The PSF is the country’s pioneering climate adaptation financing mechanism, enabling LGUs and local organizations to design and implement community-based initiatives that strengthen climate resilience.

To date, the PSF Board has approved 24 adaptation projects and project development grants nationwide, totaling PHP 1.421 billion—a concrete demonstration of the Marcos Jr. administration’s commitment to empower local communities in confronting climate risks.

Co-hosted with the United Nations Development Programme’s Strengthening Institutions and Empowering Localities Against Disasters and Climate Change in the Philippines (UNDP SHIELD), and supported by the Australian Government, the government is holding a national PSF caravan that aims to fast-track LGUs’ access to the PSF by raising awareness, sharpening technical skills, and guiding them step-by-step through the fund’s processes.

It is being held across vulnerable municipalities and provinces in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, including the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). The next leg will be held in October and will continue until the first quarter of 2026.

The Mindanao caravan, held in Butuan City on September 18–19, 2025, gathered over 55 participants from LGUs, national agencies, academe, the private sector, and civil society to forge collaboration and knowledge-sharing.

Participating LGUs included the Municipalities of Kitcharao, Tubay, Las Nieves, and Santiago, and Butuan City in Agusan del Norte; the Provincial Governments of Agusan del Norte and Agusan del Sur; the Municipality of Esperanza; the Municipalities of Cateel, Governor Generoso, and Manay in Davao Oriental; and the Provincial Governments of Davao Oriental, Dinagat Islands, Bukidnon, and Surigao del Sur.

The caravan featured a series of seminars, technical consultations, and interactive workshops delivered by a collection of resource persons and subject matter experts.

As the country’s blueprint for building climate resilience and reducing risks, the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) was discussed in detail to guide participants in its integration into their local planning frameworks in order to produce science-based proposals for climate change adaptation projects.

Climate Change Commission (CCC) Deputy Executive Director Rommel Cuenca highlighted how the NAP can be embedded into Comprehensive Land Use and Development Plans (CLUP/CDP), Local Climate Change Action Plans (LCCAP), and Annual Investment Plans (AIP), strengthening the scientific basis of LGUs’ project proposals.

To help LGUs and accredited local or community organizations access funding for these proposals, the DOF Climate Finance Policy Group (CFPG) discussed the key features and end-to-end processes of the PSF.

Workshops also gave LGUs the opportunity to pitch initial proposals and receive live feedback from PSF Board members, including Ms. Yvonne Garcia Flores of the Gokongwei Group and Mr. Silvestre Barrameda Jr. of the National Resilience Council.

Also present in the pool of experts are Mr. Vincent Cotoron of the Caraga State University and Mr. Guiamel Alim of the Consortium of Bangsamoro Civil Society (CBCS).

The Municipality of Kitcharao LGU shared their unique experiences in handling a PSF-funded project, providing participants valuable insights into the process and guidance as to the development or refinement of their own climate adaptation proposals. The PSF Secretariat conducted a site visit and a courtesy meeting with Mayor Jenry E. Montante to affirm the support of PSF in the continuous implementation of the project in enhancing the sustainable management of the community’s river ecosystem.

Present during the caravan were representatives from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), Bangsamoro Planning and Development Authority (BPDA-BARMM), Ministry of the Interior and Local Government (MILG-BARMM), Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), Sibog Katawhan Alang sa Paglambo (SIKAP) Inc.; as well as representatives from the regional offices of the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) and Bureau of Local Government Finance (BLGF).

The PSF Board is composed of a multi-sectoral representatives including the Secretary of the Finance as Chairperson, the Vice Chairperson of the Climate Change Commission (CCC), the Secretary of the Department of Budget Management (DBM), the Secretary of the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev), the Secretary of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), the Chairperson of the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW), and members from non-government agencies representing the business sector; non-government organization; and the academe and scientific community.

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