Quezon City, the largest city in the Philippines’ National Capital Region, is taking significant steps to bolster its flood control infrastructure in response to escalating climate challenges. The city has been experiencing stronger and more frequent typhoons, heavier rainfall leading to severe flooding, and longer periods of extreme heat, intensifying risks across the metropolis.
In 2024, Typhoon Carina affected over 80,000 individuals in Quezon City—a figure eight times higher than the annual average of 10,000 affected individuals. By March 2025, the heat index had already soared to 41°C and remained dangerously high throughout April, escalating health risks, especially for vulnerable populations. Many low-income families reside in flood-prone, high-risk areas, while women, children, the elderly, and persons with disabilities often face greater barriers to disaster recovery and adaptation. For Quezon City, climate change is not just an environmental threat—it is a profound social equity challenge that demands urgent, inclusive, and sustained action.
To address these challenges, the city has placed climate action at the very heart of its governance agenda, guided by a vision to build a livable, green, and sustainable city for all. In 2019, Quezon City declared a Climate Emergency, initially earmarking 13% of the city’s annual budget for climate initiatives—a figure that has grown to over 19% in 2024. This increasing investment reflects the city’s unwavering political commitment to bold, science-based, and people-centered climate leadership.
Guided by this principle, Quezon City is delivering programs with tangible, measurable impacts. For instance, the city is transitioning its free bus service, which caters to over 20 million riders annually, to electric vehicles and is working to double the city’s parks and open spaces by 2030. The city has also committed to solarize all viable city-owned buildings by 2030 and supports over 1,500 urban farms involving more than 40,000 urban farmers.
Furthermore, Quezon City created the first dedicated local government department in the Philippines tasked with leading a whole-of-government, whole-of-society approach to climate action. With support from C40 Cities, Quezon City developed the first Paris Agreement-aligned local climate roadmap in the country. The goal is to achieve a 30% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2050.
By centering climate action on social justice, transparency, and active citizenship, Quezon City is building not only a more sustainable city but also a more inclusive, empowered, and resilient society—one that can meet the challenges of the climate crisis head-on and leave no one behind.