Strategic Resilience in the Subnational (Municipal) Border-Community along the Bislak River: Exploring Opportunities for Inter-local Climate Change Governance in the Philippines

Abstract : This paper discusses part of the results of a research and development project funded by the Philippine Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) through its Technical Assistance Project for Local Resource Institute (TA for LRIs), and implemented by the Department of Sociology, Mariano Marcos State University. Guided by the Subaltern Climate Change Adaptation model developed by Dascil, the project explored the shared climate vulnerabilities and possible collaborative adaptation strategy among local institutions in a subnational border-community in the Philippines. Through key informant interviews, community focus group discussions, and document analysis, the variously limited adaptive capacity of local institutions is found to be embedded in their administrative structure, and institutional fund, program, social capital, among others. Moreover, despite municipal Local Government Unit (LGU)-sanctioned jurisdictional constraints, a common willingness is apparent among local institutions to partner with other institutions across the local border to address shared climate change vulnerability issues. While its result affirms the need to rethink adaptation as a function and fusion of institutional strategy, inter-institutional partnership, and linked ecological and demographic realities, the project concludes that an interlocal transborder climate governance strategy is instrumental for sustainable and community-driven public service delivery—a fundamental prerequisite for climate-resilient local communities.