The state-owned Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) has entered into a partnership with the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) to integrate geohazard data into the bank's risk management framework and lending operations.

The partnership comes as Philippine financial institutions face mounting pressure to account for natural hazard exposure in their portfolios, with the country situated along the Pacific Ring of Fire and within the western Pacific typhoon belt—making it one of the most disaster-prone nations in the world.

Under the agreement, DBP will gain access to GeoRiskPH, PHIVOLCS' science-based hazard information platform, to support evidence-based credit evaluations and data-driven business decisions. The initiative also aligns with the broader push by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, which has issued sustainable finance framework guidelines encouraging banks to integrate environmental and climate-related risks into their governance and lending practices.

"We view this partnership with PHIVOLCS as a tangible manifestation of how government agencies can strengthen their collaboration and leverage shared expertise in advancing a safer, more resilient, and sustainable Philippines," DBP President and Chief Executive Officer Michael O. de Jesus said in a statement released Friday.

Through the partnership, DBP will be able to use GeoRiskPH and its HazardHunterPH Pro application to assess the potential impact of natural hazards on loan collaterals, investments, acquired assets, branch locations, and other bank facilities. GeoRiskPH is a centralized government platform that provides real-time hazard data and risk analysis to support geohazard mapping and vulnerability assessments for disaster preparedness.

PHIVOLCS, an agency under the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), is the principal government authority on volcanology, seismology, and tsunami research in the Philippines. The agency developed GeoRiskPH as a national initiative to provide government offices, local government units, and the public with access to consolidated, science-based hazard data.

DBP and PHIVOLCS will also conduct bank-wide capacity-building training on the use of the platform and HazardHunterPH Pro. The training will cover key business areas, including lending, branch banking, special assets, and credit appraisal.

Mr. De Jesus said the initiative would strengthen DBP's institutional resilience and support financing for projects that generate economic activity, particularly in the countryside.

DBP is the country's ninth-largest bank, with total assets amounting to P1.041 trillion. It provides credit support to priority sectors such as infrastructure and logistics, micro, small and medium enterprises, the environment, and social services and community development. — Edg Adrian A. Eva