In combining the Philippine representatives' interest in the German experts' knowledge about organized volunteering in civil protection, the initiative to implement a local project workshop in the Philippines was realized with the support of Connective Cities. For one, the opportunity was seen to exchange views on the effective implementation of established strategies and to jointly develop further project ideas and approaches. Secondly, the exchange offered the chance to familiarize the experts with the local conditions in order to gain a better understanding of the reality and to foster further contacts.

From October 16 - 20, 2023, three municipal experts from Bonn, Cologne and Wuppertal were invited to Quezon and Makati City in Metro Manila for the local project workshop on "Citizen Engagement in Disaster Management and Promotion of Inclusive Personnel Development in the Fire Department".

The Mayor of Quezon City, Josefina Belmonte, personally welcomed the municipal experts on the first day, which marked the start of the five-day workshop. On the first two days, the experts got to know Quezon City and its disaster management mechanisms. The good practice examples presented in Quezon City covered the areas of: Disaster Management, Law and Order, Risk Communication and Housing Programs. Quezon City conducts disaster management at municipal level. Representatives from four departments presented their structures and afterwards exchanged experiences with the present experts.

1. “Quezon City Disaster and Risk Reduction Management Office” (QCDRRMO) on building a disaster-resilient city,
2. „Public Affairs and Information Services Department“ (PAISD) on risk communication in emergencies,
3. „Social Services and Development Department” (SSDD) on Camp Coordination und Camp Management in Emergencies and
4. „Housing Community Development and Resettlement Department“ (HCDRD) on Transitional Housing and Programs.

At midday, the experts visited the QCDRRMO headquarters. Through a tour and interactions with the director and employees, they were able to get to know the headquarters and gain insights into the work. A particular focus was set on the iRISE-UP Program developed by Quezon City; a real-time monitoring system that makes it possible to warn the population of dangers at an early stage and, for example, to close schools or order evacuations as well as precisely monitor disaster situations as they occur. In cooperation with the PAISD, the QCDRRMO additionally publishes information on disaster prevention and the latest news and weather warnings, including recommendations for action, on public platforms. This visit was followed by a tour of the equipment and facilities of the "Search and Rescue (SAR) Teams" and the "Emergency Response Teams (ERT)". The experts then viewed a Regional Evacuation Center (REC), which serves as a backup in case the evacuation centers in a district is overcrowded. The evacuation centers are situated throughout the city; evacuation routes are set and mapped out, as well as the areas at risk of flooding. This approach of established communication inspired the delegation from Germany to carry similar examples to their municipalities.

The second day in Quezon City began with a presentation by the “Quezon City Police District” (QCPD) on its efforts to promote inclusivity and diversity in the field of emergency response. This was continued by a presentation of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), who went into more detail on the topics of fire protection and firefighting in addition to inclusive personnel development. This was followed by an excursion to the district (Barangay) of Bagong Silangan, which began with a tour of the HCDRD's transitional housing. The group then went to the border river, which floods a large part of the urban area two to three times a year due to heavy rainfall or typhoons, necessitating the evacuation of up to 30,000 people. There they were familiarized with flood monitoring using simple markings in combination with camera monitoring. The experts also visited the nearby permanent evacuation center for 5,000 people, which was completed in 2023, as well as an agricultural project that prevents a high-risk area from which people have been relocated from being repopulated. Lastly, the Barangay Batasan Hills was visited for an insight into its DRRM system, control center and volunteer structure. The city works with the Barangays to implement sustainable disaster management. The volunteers are another important addition to disaster response, for example as a complement to the city's fire department to start extinguishing fires before they arrive.

The following two days focused on the current circumstances and good practice examples in DRR in Makati City, including the pronounced interdepartmental cooperation within the city administration. As an introduction, Makati's resilience roadmap – including one against earthquakes and flood situations - and its DRRM system were presented. Makati is the first resilience hub in Southeast Asia and is currently developing a (also) virtual academy for disaster prevention. At midday, the experts visited Makati's DRRM Operation Center and engaged in conversations with the staff. They got to know the control center with all its equipment, as well as the command center, the weather analysis station and the TOMO early warning system. The group also visited the Search and Rescue Base and spoke to the DRRMO contacts on site. Finally, they visited Makati's central fire station with the “Bureau of Fire Protection - National Capital Region” (BFP-NCR) of Makati City.

On the last day of the workshop, Quezon City, Makati City and the German municipal experts came together for a joint reflection. The mayor of Makati City, Abigail Binay, took part in the exchange. At the end of the day, the possibilities for promoting partnerships and initiatives in disaster management were discussed together. The importance of cooperation in improving disaster preparedness and response was particularly emphasized.

The municipal experts returned after the five-day Local Project Workshop to Germany with many impressions. The knowledge gained ranges from insights into the administrations and control centers for DRRM to visits to evacuation centers, transitional shelters and fire stations. The interactions and visits to the facilities also served to reflect on different areas of their own work and concepts. They also learned about weather monitoring tools, gained direct insights into urban planning adapted to disasters and were familiarized with initiatives such as the training of volunteer first responders and events for citizens on the topics of disaster prevention and management. The exchange between the experts not only expanded their sector-specific knowledge, but also sharpened their focus on global challenges and sustainable solutions. The effects of climate change in particular make it necessary to exchange information at various levels globally. Here, the exchange through the behalf of Connective Cities represented an exemplary opportunity at municipal level in terms of global, municipal and mutual learning.