President Marcos has enjoined the Asia-Pacific region to advocate for stronger international legal frameworks that would guide countries on disaster prevention and response.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (APMCDRR) 2024 on Tuesday, Oct. 15, Marcos laid several points on reducing disaster and climate risks, protecting the people, and building sustainable economies.
"We must advocate for stronger international legal frameworks that guide disaster prevention and response," he said.
"The Philippines is proud to lead the initiative toward developing an international legal instrument for the Protection of Persons in the Event of Disasters," he added.
The President said the endeavor aims to fill critical gaps in international disaster response laws, uphold the rights and dignity of affected persons, establish clearer obligations, and enhance humanitarian coordination.
Stressing that the countries in the Asia-Pacific region share a common struggle in navigating the balance between continued economic growth and dealing with the ever-present threat of disasters, Marcos encouraged involved countries to "harmonize our approaches and pursue meaningful actions" under mandates such as the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and the Paris Agreement.
Second, the President said, "we must embrace inclusion," stressing that "disasters disproportionately impact people, and they exacerbate existing inequalities."
He told the foreign leaders present at the conference that the region must ensure that the voice of every person is empowered to contribute to disaster risk reduction and receive the assistance that they need if the time comes.
Third, he said, countries must acknowledge that climate change and disasters are catalysts for human displacement.
"Fourth, innovation must be at the heart of all our strategies," he further said, adding that advancements in technology, data analytics, and early warning systems can revolutionize disaster preparedness and response.
"Fifth, coordination and collaboration are the cornerstones of our whole-of-nation approach," the President also said, explaining that by engaging all stakeholders, needs are collectively identified while gaps are addressed and risks are anticipated.
Sixth, fostering open dialogue is essential in bringing sectors together, promoting both convergence and coherence in our efforts, Marcos said.
This would allow nations to carry out regular assessments, ensuring that policies on disaster risk reduction remain consistent and effective.
And seventh, he cited engaging the private sector, particularly in advancing investments and practices in environmental, social, and governance areas.
"Through collaborative research, information sharing, and innovative financing, we continue to strengthen and deepen our partnerships with these key stakeholders," he said.
In his speech, Marcos also expressed that the APMCDRR presents a grand opportunity to send a powerful message to the world: The Asia-Pacific is not only prepared to overcome the trials of tomorrow—we are also ready to lead in disaster risk reduction and climate action.
Resilient Asia-Pacific Region
"Our vision is clear: to reduce disaster risks and losses, and in doing so, protect lives, livelihoods, and the social and economic assets that underpin our societies," Marcos said as he expressed his desire for a more resilient Asia-Pacific Region that he believes could be achieved with the ideas exchanged during the APMCDRR.
The President stressed that climate change, particularly minimizing the effects of disasters, has become central to how governments shape their people's future.
"At the heart of our efforts – all our efforts -- is climate change—an issue that we have integrated into our national and regional policies, from investment strategies to policy implementation," he said.
"There is no longer even a single conversation that we have that does not include an aspect of adaptation, mitigation to climate change. That is how primordial it has become in our everyday lives," he added.
However, Marcos said the increasing frequency and severity of natural hazards call for deeper innovation, closer cooperation, and sustained commitment from everyone. He cited as an example the Philippines being at the frontline of climate crises.
"Our geographical location exposes us to hazards such as typhoons, earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions," he said.
"Each of these challenges has tested the resilience of every Filipino and the strength of our spirit as a nation as, of course, it has done to your countries as well," he added.
With this, he hoped the conference, which he described as "urgent," would present opportunities to leverage science and technology to alleviate the impact of climate change and ensure that financing is accessible to all.
"Here, we can learn from each other, strengthen partnerships, identify innovative ideas, and adopt best practices," he said.
"By harmonizing all of our efforts, I trust we can build an Asia Pacific region that is truly adaptive, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable," he added.
Malaysia’s offer
Marcos welcomed Malaysia’s offer for more cooperation in disaster response and rescue efforts as the Philippines led the ministerial conference for disaster mitigation in the Asia Pacific region.
In a Facebook post on Monday, Oct. 14, the Chief Executive shared about a “productive meeting” he had with Malaysia’s Deputy Prime Minister Zahid Hamidi during his courtesy call at Malacañan Palace.
“We talked about how both our nations can work together to strengthen disaster resilience and develop skilled workforces, in line with technological advances through technical education,” Marcos wrote.
The President added that they also exchanged views on disaster risk reduction and management.
“I’m grateful for Malaysia’s offer to collaborate in this critical sector for future disaster response and rescue efforts.”
The Malaysian deputy prime minister was in the country to attend the APMCDRR. This is the first time that the Philippines hosted the conference.
Japanese firm's AI tech
Japanese tech firm Spectee Inc.'s artificial intelligence (AI)-powered crisis management information system is expected to enhance disaster response in the Philippines, according to the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
In a statement, JICA Philippines said its senior representative Jiro Oshima and Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Assistant Secretary Philip A. Varilla signed a public-private partnership (PPP) collaboration agreement last Sept. 24, together with Spectee chief operating officer (COO) Satoshi Negoro, who joined the signing ceremony virtually from Tokyo, Japan.
This collaboration will roll-out Spectee's "affordable" cloud-based technology called Spectee Pro, which, JICA Philippines noted, in real-time extracts useful data points from social media by using AI-image and -language analyses.
In particular, JICA Philippines and Spectee with the DICT's help will come-up with a localized version of Spectee Pro.
A preliminary 80 government agencies as well as local government units (LGUs) will enjoy a limited-period free use of Spectee Pro. These LGUs include Cebu City; Davao City; Legazpi City, Albay; Metro Manila; Tacloban City, Leyte; and Tagbilaran City, Bohol.
The Japanese aid agency said Spectee Pro will improve local and national disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) systems, as the government can quickly collect, process and communicate vital information when calamities strike.
Hosted by the Philippines, in partnership with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) beginning, the APMCDRR serves as the main platform in Asia and the Pacific in monitoring, reviewing and enhancing cooperation for the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 — the global blueprint for preventing and reducing new and existing disaster risks in the world’s most disaster-prone regions.
The conference, which takes place until Oct. 18, brings together governments, intergovernmental, international, national and civil society organizations, the private sector, science, academia and stakeholder groups to accelerate progress in reducing disaster risk.