President 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.
President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. meets with Malaysia Deputy Prime Minister Zahid Hamidi during a courtesy call at the Malacañan Palace. (Photo from the Presidential Communications Office)
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 Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (APMCDRR). This is the first time that the Philippines hosted the conference.
The Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said in a separate Facebook post that the two officials discussed other matters that the countries can boost cooperation on.
“They also discussed collaboration in education and Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) to improve skills development for youth and workers, enhance employability, and align training programs with industry needs,” its post read.
The APMCDRR brings together governments, intergovernmental, international, national and civil society organizations, the private sector, science, academia and stakeholder groups to fast-track progress in reducing disaster risk.
In the Asia Pacific region, the conference is the main platform to review, monitor, and enhance cooperation for the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, which provided member-states with concrete actions to protect development gains from disaster risks.