Philippines Urges ASEAN To Anticipate Risks And Act Ahead Of Disaster
MANILA, Sept 15 (Bernama-PNA) -- The Philippines has called on ASEAN member states to strengthen disaster preparedness, improve early warning systems and deepen regional cooperation as disasters become more frequent, interconnected and costly across Southeast Asia, the Philippine News Agency (PNA) reported.
During the ASEAN Ministerial Conference on Disaster Resilience (AMCDR) held in Pasay City on Tuesday, President Ferdinand R. Marcos, in his message read by Executive Secretary Ralph Recto, noted that disasters know no boundaries and urged ASEAN countries to coordinate responses across borders.
“As we gather for the ASEAN Ministerial Conference on Disaster Resilience, we are reminded that disasters do not respect borders. In a region as interconnected as ours, our response cannot also stop at our borders,” he said.
“This year marks 20 years of the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response, or AADMER. This occasion not only recognises the cooperation among ASEAN Member States over the past decades in reducing imminent risks, strengthening preparedness, and responding to emergencies in the face of disasters. It also offers an opportunity to look ahead,” he added.
Marcos said ASEAN remains the world’s most disaster-prone region and pointed to gaps in knowledge, communication, hazard detection and monitoring capabilities among member states.
The Philippines, he said, continues to push for a stronger, more coordinated ASEAN disaster management system, including the proposed Manila-ASEAN Strategic Protocol for Emergency and Comprehensive Transformation, or Manila ASPECT, to improve disaster response and coordination.
The President also cited the Resilient, Innovative, Sustainable, and Empowered (RISE) ASEAN Agenda, which focuses on family resilience, support for young people and inclusive development for vulnerable communities.
Marcos outlined five priorities for ASEAN’s disaster resilience efforts, including strengthening the ability to anticipate risks and act before hazards strike, bringing regional commitments closer to communities, preparing for recovery ahead of disasters, using emerging technologies responsibly and treating resilience as a shared responsibility.
The Philippines, he said, has taken steps to improve its own capacity to act before disasters occur.
-- BERNAMA-PNA
