DOST, UNDP, and Australia lead resilience dividend hackathon to back climate and disaster risk investment framework in PH

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In a significant step toward strengthening climate and disaster resilience in the Philippines, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Government of Australia, convened the Resilience Dividend Hackathon on 28 April 2026 at the 2nd Floor Auditorium of DOST-PHIVOLCS in Diliman, Quezon City.

The event, gathered key stakeholders from the national government agencies (NGAs), local government units (LGUs), development partners, and the private sector, sought to facilitate a collaborative exploration and application of resilience dividend methodologies using national and local use cases to inform policy and enhance the prioritization of resilience investments in the country and to operationalize the Resilience Dividend (ResDiv) Framework through a collaborative, multi-sectoral approach.

Jacqueline Miel-Soliguin, Programme Manager of SHIELD and  Dr. Teresito C. Bacolcol, Lead of SHIELD Component 3, emphasized the urgent need to strengthen resilience investments and emphasized the importance of cross-sector collaboration in addressing the country’s growing climate and disaster risks in their opening statements.

“Too often, valuable scientific insights remain underutilized. Here, we challenge that norm. Together, we will translate science into meaningful investments: turning data, models, and research into decisions that protect lives, livelihoods, and futures,” Dr. Bacolcol stated.

On the other hand, a diverse pool of participants and facilitators from institutions, including the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), UNDP, Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (DOST-PHIVOLCS), Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (DOST-PAGASA), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the Office of Civil Defense, National Resilience Council, UN-Habitat, and various LGUs from Makati City, Quezon City, Pampanga,and Pangasinan, enriched the discussions with a blend of technical expertise, policy insights, and on-the-ground implementation experience.

Resilience Dividend Hackathon 

Resilience Dividend Hackathon demonstrates an evolution in how resilience is understood and operationalized. Shifting from a cost-centered obligation to a value-generating investment strategy, the framework reframes resilience as a measurable contributor to long-term development outcomes.

At its core, ResDiv introduces an innovative, hands-on approach to policy and investment planning. The hackathon, derived from the fusion of “hack” (to create or innovate rapidly) and “marathon” (a focused, time-bound effort), enabled participants to test analytical approaches for improving the efficiency, effectiveness, and accountability of resilience investments.

Rather than treating resilience as a reactive expenditure, the workshop positioned it as a strategic intervention capable of generating returns or benefits.

The framework’s analytical strength lies in its dual-lens structure. First, it evaluates resilience as a net benefit, capturing avoided damages, enhanced recovery trajectories, adaptive capacity gains, and even transformative societal outcomes.

Second, it situated these benefits within a broader development contribution, linking resilience investments to national priorities across five domains: social well-being, infrastructure integrity, economic productivity, environmental sustainability, and institutional capacity.

This integrated perspective ensures that resilience is no longer assessed in isolation but as a cross-cutting driver of sustainable development.

The hackathon was further reinforced by Dr. Geoff Lee and Dr. Mahesh Prakash of CSIRO, who provided regional insights on ResDiv applications in ASEAN and guided participants through the methodological structure of the exercise. Participants were organized into interdisciplinary teams and tasked with analyzing real-world-inspired use cases using the ResDiv quadrants method.

Each group assessed hypothetical public investments by systematically identifying both direct and indirect costs and benefits, allowing for a more nuanced understanding of resilience value across economic and non-economic dimensions.

This collaborative and data-driven process revealed another key reason why Resilience Dividend is critical: it strengthens decision intelligence. The mapping of outputs against the Philippine Resilience Score and identifying corresponding data requirements, participants highlighted the importance of measurable indicators in resilience planning. At the same time, the exercise exposed significant data gaps, pointing to the need for stronger data ecosystems to support rigorous, evidence-based policymaking.

In a country highly exposed to climate and disaster risks, the importance of the ResDiv is clear. It shows that investing in resilience is not just about avoiding losses, but about creating real, long-term value for society. Through making the benefits of resilience visible and measurable, the ResDiv approach helps decision-makers invest more wisely, ensuring that every action taken today leads to a stronger, more sustainable future for the Philippines.

Translating Risk to Investments

The Resilience Dividend Framework offers a clear path forward, transforming how risk is understood and acted upon. Capturing the full spectrum of benefits, even beyond disaster scenarios, positions resilience as a strategic and economically sound investment. Participants also emphasized that while data challenges remain, existing datasets can already inform decisions when effectively organized, and that improved data governance is emerging as a priority.

The discussions reaffirmed that risk must remain central to bridging science and policy to produce actionable interventions. Demonstrating clear costs and benefits is essential for prioritizing investments and unlocking financing. As a flexible tool applicable across the entire project cycle, from planning to evaluation, the ResDiv Framework complements the Philippine Resilience Index by ensuring that resilience investments are intentional, evidence-based, and value-driven. It paves the way for a more coordinated and forward-looking resilience strategy, one that drives long-term, sustainable, and climate-resilient development in the Philippines.

As climate-induced hazards grow more complex and costly, ResDiv marks an approach moving towards strategic, evidence-based investment. The initiative sets a strong precedent for embedding science, data, and cross-sector collaboration at the core of public investment decisions, ensuring that every peso spent not only reduces risk but generates long-term economic, social, and environmental dividends for the Filipino people.

The Resilience Dividend Hackathon, in partnership with UNDP and the Government of Australia, is one of the initiatives of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) aimed at providing science-based, innovative, and inclusive solutions across four strategic pillars: human well-being, wealth creation, wealth protection, and sustainability. These pillars embody the mantra OneDOST4U: Solutions and Opportunities for All. For more information, visit www.dost.gov.ph. (Text and photos by Marven M. Castillo, DOST)

Central to the hackathon was the introduction of ResDiv, presented by Ms. Rachelle Anne Miranda, Project Leader of ResDiv. For the Philippine context, ResDiv refers to the net benefits, such as avoided losses, reduced costs, and additional co-benefits, including those realized even without disasters, that result from resilience-building policies and investments. This is a crucial distinction: resilience investments are not only justified by what they prevent, but also by the value they continuously generate under normal conditions.