ICLEI's presence in the Southeast Asian region jump-started in the Philippines during the Local Agenda 21 (LA21) Distance-Training Program in 1996-1998. This distance-learning project was housed at the Local Government Academy (a government agency involved in capacity-building for local governments), an attached agency of the Department of Interior and Local Government. The LA21 Campaign was funded by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ).

Funders that supported the Cities for Climate Protection (CCP) activities in the Philippines included the US Agency for International Development (USAID), US Department of Energy (USDOE), US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), and Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). CCP Indonesia was supported by USAID and CCP Thailand was supported by CIDA.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) supported a pilot Water Campaign activity undertaken in Baguio City, Philippines.