It’s not a matter of “IF” but “WHEN” the next disaster strikes.
Every year, the Philippines braces for roughly 20 tropical cyclones entering its area of responsibility — about 8 to 9 of them make landfall. In this archipelago of more than 7,600 islands, storms, floods, landslides, and related disasters have become part of the rhythm of life.
Yet despite the omnipresent threat, disaster prevention and mitigation efforts often fall short. Projected flood control systems remain incomplete, maintenance is uneven, and some government flood mitigation initiatives have struggled to deliver on promises. (Recent public scrutiny over flood control allocations and implementation has further raised questions about accountability.)
“We have a reputation for resilience. But being resilient is one thing — being financially resilient to bounce back after tragedy is another.”
This tension is what makes the Cebuana Lhuillier Foundation’s Disaster Resilience Forum more than a policy gathering. It’s an urgent call to recognize that surviving a storm is only half the battle — rebuilding lives, homes, and communities afterward demands financial tools, social capital, and preparedness systems that go beyond emergency response.
The Legacy of Cebuana Lhuillier’s Resilience Advocacy
This is not the first time Cebuana Lhuillier Foundation focused its efforts on disaster resilience.
Their efforts stretch back several years, with Disaster Resilience Forums becoming a recurring fixture in their CSR (corporate social responsibility) and foundation work.
- Cebuana Lhuillier has convened annual resilience forums to strengthen disaster readiness across communities.
- The third Disaster Resilience Forum, for example, was held in July 2018 at Shangri-La at the Fort, Taguig City, under the banner “2018 READY: Disaster Resilience Begins with Me.”
- That 2018 event brought together disaster management specialists and first responders; panels addressed emergency coordination, community resilience, and awareness-building.
- In 2016, the “Ready: Disaster Resilience Forum – The Role of Microinsurance” was organized in Makati, with road shows following in cities like Baguio, Cebu, and Davao.
- In recent years, the foundation has also expanded supplementary programs such as Cebuana Alerto, a video series on disaster preparedness, and Barangay Resilience Exchange (BRX), a platform for local leaders to share best practices.
These past efforts show that CLFI’s 2025 forum is part of a sustained push—and that the “Big Wave” framing is a natural evolution of their resilience agenda.
From Survival to Recovery: What Financial Resilience Looks Like
Being disaster-resilient isn’t just about early warnings, evacuation, and shelters. A community that can recover meaningfully needs:
- Access to microinsurance and financial safety nets
Many Filipinos lack savings or insurance to absorb the shock of catastrophe. Microinsurance products, credit facilities, and emergency funds can make the difference between rebuilding and economic ruin. - Infrastructure and green buffers
Storm surge walls, mangrove restoration, improved drainage systems—all these reduce the severity of impact, cutting repair costs later. - Equitable governance and oversight
Accountability in project implementation ensures that funds for flood control or resilience aren’t lost to inefficiencies or corruption. - Empowered local leadership
Barangay-level capacities—planning, first response, localized risk assessments—are crucial. The forum’s emphasis on “vision, action, collaboration” aims to reinforce that. - Sustained collaboration across sectors
Governments, NGOs, private sector, civil society—only a unified front can build systems that scale beyond pilot projects.
Toward a Truly #ResilientPilipinas
The Cebuana Lhuillier Foundation’s Disaster Resilience Forum 2025 makes it clear that resilience cannot remain just a buzzword or a badge of survival. It must be an everyday practice—rooted in barangay action, backed by science, and sustained by collaboration.
By introducing the “Big Wave” framework, CLFI pushes the national conversation beyond earthquakes and typhoons to include storm surges, sea-level rise, and tsunamis—threats just as catastrophic, yet often overlooked. And as Jean Henri Lhuillier emphasized, “Resilience begins in every barangay.” Without empowered local leaders, families, and communities, the country will always be playing catch-up to disaster.
The forum’s three sessions—Vision, Action, and Collaboration—reflect this holistic approach. From agencies like DOST, PHIVOLCS, and DILG setting the policy tone, to grassroots champions showcased by MMDA and DSWD, to the united front of government, academe, NGOs, and business—DRF 2025 was a rare moment of solidarity in a space where silos often dominate.
CLFI also ensured that the forum didn’t end with talk. The launch of the nationwide Tulong sa Pagbangon donation campaign gives every Filipino the chance to participate in resilience-building, whether through digital wallets, QR codes, or even humble coin canisters in Cebuana branches. Their donation of E2G food bars to the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF)—nutrient-packed rations designed for crisis response—further underscored that preparation means more than warnings; it means resources on the ground when lives hang in the balance.
As Executive Director Jonathan Batangan put it, “The DRF 2025 is more than raising awareness—it’s a call to action. By placing the ‘Big Wave’ on the agenda, we challenge communities and leaders to look beyond immediate risks and prepare for the realities ahead.”
And perhaps that is where the real message of #ResilientPilipinas lies. Not in the ability of Filipinos to smile through tragedy, but in building the financial, structural, and social muscle to rise again—stronger, safer, and more prepared for whatever comes next.
