The Faculty of Management and Development Studies (FMDS) of the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU), in partnership with the University of the Philippines Resilience Institute (UPRI), officially launched the Master of Climate and Disaster Resilience (MCDR) Program on 27 February 2026, marking UPOU and UPRI’s shared commitment to climate action and disaster resilience through education during the UPOU’s 31st Anniversary activities.

“You are not merely enrolling in a graduate program: you are committing to a discipline that demands rigor, integrity, and service. The knowledge you gain here must translate into safer communities, stronger institutions, and more equitable systems,” said UPRI Executive Director Alfredo Mahar Lagmay, who underscored the importance of an integrated approach to community resilience in disaster management. 

The MCDR program, with admissions set to begin in the First Semester of A.Y. 2026-2027, offers a  34-unit, fully online semestral coursework with midyear term course offerings, including two program tracks: Strategic Practice Track and Community Resilience and Empowerment Track.

UPOU Faculty of Management and Development Studies Dean Finaflor Taylan expressed her enthusiasm towards the opening of the MCDR Program, and its impact on disaster preparedness across communities: “When we strengthen our capacity to understand and respond to risk, we strengthen our future, and we thrive as a nation and as a people.”

Further details about the program, admission requirements, and application procedures through the official UPOU website at:

🔗https://registrar.upou.edu.ph/masters-program/

🔗https://fmds.upou.edu.ph/academics/post-bac/master-of-climate-and-disaster-resilience/

Missed the launch? Watch the live recording here: https://url.upou.edu.ph/MCDRLaunch

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