Businesses and government to enhance partnerships in disaster management
IN a recent forum jointly organized by the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF) and the Office of Civil Defense, with the support of the Asian Preparedness Partnership, the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the USAid Office of US Foreign Disaster Assistance, key leaders from the private sector, government agencies, and international humanitarian organizations agreed to enhance collaboration in disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM), especially in the area of disaster response.
“We are gathered here today to operationalize this process where the government will take the lead and private companies can assist by using their core expertise. If there is one thing we have learned over the last few years, it is that we are all in this together. Each of us and our families, our communities and businesses face common threats, and it is only by working with one another that we can truly protect our people. It is this ‘whole of society’ approach that brings us here today,” said PDRF President Butch Meily.
On the same day, PDRF launched its Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Champions in the Business Community Award, which recognizes private sector entities, programs, and individuals that create lasting change through innovative and impactful disaster resilience initiatives. A panel discussion on policy recommendations — led by Philex Mining Corp. Senior Vice President for Public and Regulatory Affairs Atty. Michael Toledo and joined by Socioeconomic Planning Undersecretary Adoracion Navarro, Energy DepartmentDirector Patrick Aquino, Ambassador Marciano Paynor Jr. (Ayala Corp.), Mark Bidder (United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs), and Jose Maria Lorenzo Tan (PDRF) — also took place.
The post Businesses and government to enhance partnerships in disaster management appeared first on The Manila Times Online.