The Philippines has secured a 6.78 million USD technical assistance grant from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) to strengthen the country's capacity to implement climate resilience, water security, and environmental protection projects across vulnerable regions, including Pampanga. The Department of Finance announced the grant on July 15, 2026, marking the Philippines as the first country in Asia and the Pacific to access this readiness support under the Fund's second replenishment period covering 2024 to 2027.
A Historic Climate Investment for Central Luzon
The Third Readiness and Preparatory Support Programme (RPSP 3), approved on June 24, 2026, will run for 60 months and aims to strengthen the country's capacity to access, develop, and implement climate investments aligned with the National Adaptation Plan and the Nationally Determined Contribution Implementation Plan. The program will strengthen inter-agency coordination among key climate institutions, including the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Climate Change Commission, Department of Agriculture, and Department of Science and Technology.
For regions like Pampanga, which have experienced devastating floods due to heavy siltation from the 1991 Mount Pinatubo eruption, this funding represents a significant opportunity. The grant will help mobilize more international climate financing for projects that enhance climate resilience, strengthen food and water security, protect vulnerable communities, and support the transition to cleaner energy.
Building on Existing Infrastructure and Local Initiatives
This national grant builds on the Philippine government's ongoing investments in climate resilience infrastructure in Pampanga. In August 2024, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. inaugurated the PHP 7.57-billion Integrated Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation Project – Stage 1 in Masantol, which aims to reduce flood duration from 66 days to just 17 days in the municipalities of Macabebe, Masantol, Minalin, and Sto. Tomas. The project, funded through Official Development Assistance from South Korea, includes dredging, excavation, and embankment construction across four major river tributaries of the Pampanga River.
The GCF grant complements this large-scale infrastructure by strengthening institutional capacity, reinforcing existing coordination mechanisms, and accelerating the development of a strong project pipeline for climate investments. As Finance Undersecretary Joven Z. Balbosa noted, "More than financial support, it is an investment in the Philippines' ability to turn climate ambition into action and deliver lasting benefits for the Filipino people." The Global Green Growth Institute will serve as the DOF's delivery partner, with the United Nations Development Programme and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit serving as co-implementers.
