City Councilor Caesar Distrito officially represented Bacolod City Mayor Greg Gasataya at the Regional Networking Event for Project Preparation and Climate Finance: Lessons from IMT-GT Cities, in Bangkok, Thailand, on Tuesday, June 30.
The event was organized by the United Cities and Local Governments Asia-Pacific (UCLG ASPAC) in partnership with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP) and other international organizations.
Serving as a pre-session activity for the 9th Committee on Environment and Development (CED-9) of UN ESCAP, the summit gathered city leaders, policymakers, development partners, and climate finance experts from across the Asia-Pacific region to strengthen regional cooperation and promote investment-ready climate resilience projects.
Distrito’s participation came at no cost to the City Government of Bacolod, as the hosting organizations fully sponsored his round-trip international airfare, hotel accommodations, and meals throughout the official program.
During the event, Distrito presented Bacolod City’s flagship climate resilience proposal, the Bacolod Urban Greenway Network (BUG-Net), before international development institutions and potential funding partners to attract technical and financial support.
Planned along the Bacolod Economic Highway, the BUG-Net Project is an Integrated Climate-Resilient Urban Development Initiative designed to transform the corridor into a sustainable green mobility network, he said.
The proposal integrates nature-based solutions to reduce flooding, mitigate urban heat, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and encourage low-carbon transport through protected bicycle lanes, wider pedestrian walkways, extensive tree planting, rain gardens, bioswales, improved drainage systems, and smart mobility infrastructure, Distrito said.
“It is an honor to represent Bacolod City before the international community and present a project that reflects our vision of building a greener, more resilient, and more livable city. We hope to establish partnerships that will help turn this vision into reality for the benefit of every Bacolodnon,” Distrito said.
He emphasized that climate change requires innovative and collaborative solutions, adding that participation in international forums allows Bacolod City to learn from global best practices while opening critical opportunities for grants, technical assistance, and climate financing.*
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