Skip to main content
Home Home
  • About USAID Urban
  • Ocean Plastics
  • Urban Issues
  • Urban Projects
  • Tools & Resources
  • Insights & Updates
  • Contact Us
  • Subscribe
  • Search Toggle

Strengthening Urban Resilience for Growth with Equity (SURGE) Project

Active

Climate Resilience and Adaptation

Economic Growth

Local Economic Development

Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH)

Public Service Delivery

Energy and Environment

Philippines

Asia

SURGE Profile Infographic_January 2020_v2

SURGE Batangas infographic 2019-11-18

SURGE Cagayan de Oro infographic 2019-11-18

SURGE General Santos infographic 2019-11-18

SURGE Iloilo infographic 2019-11-18

SURGE Legazpi infographic 2019-11-18

SURGE Puerto Princesa infographic 2019-11-18

SURGE Tagbilaran infographic 2019-11-18

SURGE Zamboanga infographic 2019-11-18

With wealth concentrated in Metro Manila and a few other primary cities, secondary and tertiary cities must elevate their role in supportingspreading economic development.

The USAID Strengthening Urban Resilience for Growth with Equity (SURGE) project is a five-year, $47.8 million project, which fosters the development of conditions for broad-based, inclusive and resilient economic growth of cities and surrounding areas outside Metro Manila.

SURGE assists cities and adjacent areas to plan effectively, guarantee basic public services, reduce business transaction costs, promote competitiveness, support sustainable development, and reduce disaster and climate change risks while ensuring inclusive and sustainable growth.

SURGE is the flagship project of USAID’s Cities Development Initiative (CDI), a crucial component of the broader Partnership for Growth with Equity (PFG). A “whole of government” partnership between the U.S. Government and the Government of the Philippines, the PFG aims to shift the Philippines to a sustained and more inclusive growth trajectory on par with other high‐performing emerging economies.

SURGE infographic
SURGE Profile January 2020

Activities

Activities under SURGE focus on four key areas:

1) Strengthening local capacity in inclusive and resilient urban development, including the promotion of disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation, and ensuring access to sustainable water supply and sanitation services

2) Promoting low-emission local economic development strategies

3) Expanding economic connectivity and access between urban and rural areas.

In line with the CDI’s approach of providing a multi-faceted package of assistance, SURGE leverages and works with existing USAID projects in economic growth, environment, energy and climate change, health, and education. Under the CDI, USAID works in partnership with the cities of Batangas, Cagayan de Oro, General Santos, Iloilo, Legazpi, Puerto Princesa, Tagbilaran, Zamboanga, and will cover additional cities in the near term.

By the end of SURGE, activities are expected to have contributed to higher levels of investment and employment for both the CDI cities and adjacent areas.

In the aftermath of the Marawi City siege in 2017, SURGE developed a package of assistance that supports the return and reintegration of internally displaced persons (IDP) in the city through water and sanitation and economic recovery activities. These initiatives align with and reinforce the existing strategy of the United States Government of reducing the overall vulnerability of IDPs to violent extremism.

Objectives

  • Improve local capacity in inclusive and resilient urban development.
  • Promote low-emission local economic development strategies.
  • Expand economic connectivity and access between urban and rural areas.

Results

As of 2019, SURGE has achieved the following milestones in the CDI cities:

Resilient urban development

  • 5 cities with risk-sensitive, socially inclusive land use plans
  • 593,273 people supported to adapt to the effects of extreme weather events
  • 3,171 people using science-based information to improve resilience
  • 501 people trained in clean energy
  • Partnered with 3 local universities for the establishment of Urban Development Learning Centers

Clean and safe water and proper sanitation

  • 191,772 people receiving improved service quality
  • 29 water service providers with strengthened capacity for water service delivery
  • 3 water service providers with strengthened capacity for sanitation service delivery

Ease of doing business

  • 4 cities improved rankings in the Philippines’ Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index
  • 15% average growth in local revenues across all CDI cities
  • 274,912 businesses supported for improved business performance
  • 45,372 news businesses registered

Investment promotion

  • PhP58.5 billion or US$1.2 billion worth of private investments in CDI cities

Land and asset management

  • 133,925 land parcels incorporated into a unified land information system

Sustainable tourism

  • 3 Tourism Development Plans adopted
  • 28 community-based sustainable tourism groups engaged
  • 214 private sector tourism groups directly engaged

Market linkages

  • 3 supply linkage agreements forged for farmers’ groups
  • 4 cities assisted in cold chain expansion

Urban development and urban-rural linkages

  • 46 city regulations and administrative procedures simplified

Gender equality and social inclusion

  • 44 laws, policies, or procedures proposed or adopted to promote gender equality at the local level

In Marawi and Lanao provinces, SURGE has achieved the following:

Water and sanitation

  • 82 people educated on tools and methods for water security, integrated water resource management, and/or water source protection
  • 1 transitory shelter with 7,500 people with identified water source

Livelihood

  • 5,761 IDPs or displaced entrepreneurs receiving business development services
  • 6 public-private partnerships formed supporting IDPs
  • 2 trading centers constructed for displaced entrepreneurs
  • 650 members of Bangon Marawi Chamber of Commerce and Industry with strengthened organizational and skills development

Related Resources & Insights

Sustainable water services amid disasters in Philippines

October 22, 2020

Cities undertake COVID-19 response and recovery planning with the help of USAID

September 3, 2020

USAID showcases best practices of urban cities during COVID-19 pandemic

August 4, 2020

Holy Name University launches new urban development learning program

June 19, 2020
Assessment

Climate Change Projections for Local Planning in Philippines

August 8, 2018
Assessment

Assessment of the Business Enabling Environment in Cities Development Initiative Cities

April 1, 2018
Technical Note/Tool

Real Property Asset Management: Manual for Local Governments in the Philippines

September 27, 2017
Project Report

Report on The Conference on Sustainable Land Governance

March 14, 2017
Home
  • Submit to UrbanLinks
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Flickr
  • About USAID Urban
  • Ocean Plastics
  • Urban Issues
  • Urban Projects
  • Tools & Resources
  • Insights & Updates
  • Contact Us
© Copyright Urban Links.
  • Privacy Policy
  • USAID.gov
Home
  • AgriLinks
  • EducationLinks
  • Learning Lab
  • UrbanLinks
  • ClimateLinks
  • LandLinks
  • MarketLinks
  • BiodiversityLinks