MANILA, Feb. 25 — All roads lead to this country’s capital as over a hundred delegates were invited to partake in the upcoming Asia Pacific Alliance for Disaster Management (A-PAD) Philippines International Symposium – happening on February 28 at the Heritage Hotel, here.
Expected to grace the momentous occasion are partners from A-PAD’s international platforms from Japan, Korea, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Philippine regional platforms from Bicol, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, SOCCSKSARGEN, Davao and Ilocos, specifically local disaster resilience champions and leaders representing the various sectors of the society and the pioneering members who significantly made a mark in terms of disaster risk reduction and management programs.
“We want to hear what our partners have to say, gain learning and share best practices, make actionable commitments and recommendations towards strengthening community resilience and humanitarian response through localized disaster risk reduction and management platform,” Dra. Susana Balingit Chairperson, Board of Trustees of Citizens’ Disaster Response Center Foundation, Inc. (CDRC) elaborated.
Leaders of Regional Platforms are expected to sit down and ink their commitment as stakeholders of the #A-PAD Philippines’ National Coordinating Committee (NCC) which shall be composed of convenors coming from the national level, regional platforms and its secretariat. Balingit said that “they will be the body that will ensure the sustained cooperation of the A-PAD Philippines Platform.”
Through this gathering, A-PAD Philippines National Co-convenors, the Citizens’ Disaster Response Center Foundation, Inc. (CRDC) and the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF), with support from the Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), endeavour to “promote the localized disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) platform as the mechanism of A-PAD for strengthening community resilience and for the provision of effective and efficient humanitarian response.”
It also aims to highlight the pioneering and continuing cross-sectoral composition of the local and regional platforms which uniquely adds up to the over-all success of A-PAD Philippine’s advocacy “To Save More Lives, in less Time.”
The convergence of the #academe, #media, #business groups, #civil society organizations, #faith-based organizations, and #government sectors perfectly blended to strengthen a trans-national disaster aid alliance that will judiciously work together to ensure the smooth progress of cooperation and understanding between governments, private companies and NGOs in the Asia Pacific region.
Rene Meily, Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation President and A-PAD Philippines Co-Convenor will officially welcome the distinguished guests and partners during the symposium. A-PAD Chief Executive Officer Kensuke Onishi will convey his message to the participants as he delivers his keynote speech.
Also expected to grace the historic event, which will mark the decade-long partnership of A-PAD with its partners, are Mr. Atsushi Kobayashi, Second Secretary / Economic Section, Embassy of Japan Manila who will give a message of support from the Embassy of Japan in Manila; USEC Ricardo B. Jalad, Administrator, Office of Civil Defense & Executive Director, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) who will also deliver his message of support from the Philippine government; and Hon. Mayor Richard Gomez of Ormoc City to attest to the effectiveness of public and private sector collaboration at the local level, among others. (A-PAD Phils.)