The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste has sought the assistance of the Philippines in enhancing its disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) capabilities, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) reported Sunday, Oct. 20.
This, as East Timor delegates visited the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (NDRRM) Operations Center in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City over the weekend for a “knowledge-sharing session” where they were provided an overview of the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management System and the National DRRM Operations Center.
“We asked the assistance of the UN (United Nations) as well as we discussed with the Philippine authority to see how they could help Timor Leste to establish some of the systems like the early warning systems, the four [thematic] pillars, detecting, monitoring,” said Marciano Octavio Garcia Da Silva, resident ambassador-designate of East Timor to the Philippines.
The Philippine DRRM System aims to administer a comprehensive national civil defense and disaster risk reduction and management program by providing leadership in the continuous development of strategic and systematic approaches as well as measures to reduce the vulnerabilities and risks to hazards and manage the consequences of disasters.
“As our country is also prone to them, to the disasters, we would like to learn from the Philippines, what they do that can save lives, what they do that can reduce the risk of the disaster, and what are the means that they have been using that they could help us in Timor Leste,” the Timor-Leste diplomat added.
OCD Asst. Sec. Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV Alejandro praised Timor-Leste’s commitment to improve its DRRM strategies as he reaffirmed their support to the initiative.
“We commend Timor-Leste’s dedication to enhancing its disaster risk reduction and management strategies, both for its nation and in preparation for its future role as a member of the ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management (ACDM). The Office of Civil Defense is committed to collaborating with you and various international organizations to foster a safer and more disaster-resilient world for all,” he stated.
The Timor-Leste delegation also included Timor-Leste Civil Protection Authority President Jesuino dos Reis de Matos Carvalho; Disaster Risk Management Advisor to the President Grace Endina; National Director of Resource Management Virgilio dos Santos Soares; Commander Fernando da Costa; Director of External Relations and Communication Cesario da Silva Marques; and Director of Strategic Planning and Advisory Paulo Soares Exposto.
Mongolia hails PH’s DRRM efforts
Consequently, Mongolia commended the national government for its “proactive initiatives” in DRRM build up.
Mongolian Deputy Prime Minister Sainbuyan Amarsaikhan also paid a courtesy visit to the OCD Building for a significant discussion on the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management System.
“We just visited the operations office of the Philippines for disaster risk reduction and exchanged about very important best practices. We appreciate the government of the Philippines for sharing with us the strategies, operations, experience, and the best methodology to reduce the risk,” he stated.
Amarsaikhan described the meeting with OCD as “very valuable,” underscoring it as a testament to the ongoing partnership and commitment of the two countries to resilience building.
“We are very happy to be in your operations center. This meeting not only emphasized the strong ties between our nations but also highlighted our shared commitment to building resilient communities in the face of natural hazards and other emergencies,” he said.
Delegates from Timor-Leste and Mongolia recently participated in the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (APMCDRR) which was hosted by the Philippines from October 14 to 18 in Pasay City.