Kristianne Jemi Santos, ICLEI Southeast (SEA) Senior Project Officer, presents an overview of the Safe and Sound Cities (S²Cities) programme in a learning exchange with the Municipality of Del Carmen at the Mayor’s Office, Del Carmen Municipal Hall, last November 19, 2024.

ICLEI Southeast Asia (SEA) shared learnings from Safe and Sound Cities (S²Cities) programme implementation in the Philippines with the Municipality of Del Carmen, which is part of the S²Cities Global Learning Network. 

Representatives from key offices in Del Carmen, namely the Municipal Planning Department, Local Youth Development Office, Engineering Office, Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office, and the Office of the Mayor, participated in the learning exchange held at the Mayor’s Office last November 19, 2024. 

ICLEI SEA also discussed with the Del Carmen Local Government Unit (LGU) representatives the municipality’s youth and community engagement initiatives as possible areas of opportunity where the S²Cities learnings can be applied. 

Kristianne Jemi Santos, ICLEI SEA Senior Project Officer, presented an overview of the S²Cities programme, emphasizing its key milestones across all programme cities.  

Meanwhile, Chris Noel Hidalgo, ICLEI SEA Communications Head, and Jameela Antoniette Mendoza, ICLEI SEA Communications Assistant, presented a summary of the case studies produced by ICLEI SEA on the S²Cities implementation in the cities of Baguio and Naga, Camarines Sur. 

Chris Noel Hidalgo, ICLEI SEA Communications Head, presents a summary of the case study on the S²Cities implementation in Baguio City in a learning exchange with the Municipality of Del Carmen at the Mayor’s Office, Del Carmen Municipal Hall, last November 19, 2024.

The case studies detailed insights and opportunities for local governments to strengthen the ways they involve the youth in developing safer cities, particularly through innovation and participatory planning and governance.     

ICLEI SEA also turned over physical copies of these knowledge products to Del Carmen’s representatives to facilitate future reference and application. 

S²Cities is a global programme aiming to improve the safety and well-being of young people in urban environments. It seeks to understand urban systems better and their influence on safety and well-being, build capacity within these systems, and enable youth innovation to solve critical challenges for safer urban environments. It is led by the Global Infrastructure Basel (GIB) Foundation, hosted by the Swiss Philanthropy Foundation, with the support of Fondation Botnar.   

ICLEI SEA supported S²Cities’ implementation in 2023-2024 by facilitating the programme’s engagements with the LGUs. 

Phase two of the S²Cities programme is currently being implemented in the Philippines in both Baguio and Naga. 

ICLEI SEA met with representatives from key offices in Del Carmen, namely the Municipal Planning Department, Local Youth Development Office, Engineering Office, Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office, and the Office of the Mayor, in a learning exchange about the S²Cities programme implementation in the Philippines, held at the Mayor’s Office last November 19, 2024.