The Philippines’ efforts to bolster disaster resilience received a significant boost at the start of the 2024 Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (APMCDRR) today (Oct. 14) at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City.
Kamal Kishore, the special representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction and head of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), highlighted the country’s swift adoption of innovative ideas that later gain widespread acceptance.
“In the last few days, the discussions I’ve been having with colleagues from the Philippines really shows how it is way ahead of the curve on disaster risk reduction,” Kishore stated at the media reception for the event.
“Your approach is marked by a people-centered focus, focus on communities, it’s not just pie in the sky. Your approach is marked by active involvement of a really vibrant civil society, and the third thing which is also very unique is how you bring together different parts of the government,” Kishore added.
The recognition of the Philippines’ disaster preparedness and response mechanisms comes as over 4,000 representatives from 69 countries gather for the international disaster meeting, which the Philippines is hosting for the first time.
Environment Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga remarked that the conference signals the beginning of a fruitful and constructive partnership.
“While its important how we value how truly blessed our region is, it’s also crucial that we recognize the significant risks we face. We are recognized by the UN and our development partners as the most disaster-prone region in the world, where vulnerability and exposure outpaces our capacity,” Loyzaga said, referring to the Philippines’ location along major tectonic plate boundaries and within a typhoon belt.
As global disasters are expected to worsen by 2030, Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro emphasized the importance of regional cooperation to enhance prevention and response strategies.
“There is strength in numbers, in case of disaster risk reduction, particularly in case of response. Secondly, in early prediction of phenomena and thirdly, in exchanging best practices of what worked given a particular set of circumstances both locally and national. Likewise, you need some convergence within the regional economic and political infrastructure,” Teodoro said.
Teodoro also pointed out that not only have disasters increased in frequency and severity, but the spread of disinformation has also compromised the integrity of the information landscape.
Presidential Communications Office Secretary Cesar Chavez, represented by Senior Undersecretary Emerald Ridao, urged his former media colleagues to contribute to promoting resilience and collective action against disasters.
In his message, he stressed the need for accurate and timely dissemination of relevant information and encouraged reporters—key players in disaster risk reduction efforts—to simplify technical matters for the public.
“You must communicate to influence comprehension. For communication alone is no use if the public does not understand, and if it does not lead to actions which serve the people,” Chavez stated.
Overall, Kishore noted that attendees of the ministerial meeting will focus on three key areas over the next four days: discussing practical solutions to enhance financing for disaster risk reduction, promoting inclusion to ensure that no one is left behind, and localization—an area where the Philippines has set an exemplary standard but which needs to be expanded.
The leaders expressed optimism about charting a more resilient future for the Asia-Pacific, leveraging science and technology, involving multiple stakeholders, and increasing available resources to tackle crisis.
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