The Philippines is expected to have an opportunity to strengthen its bilateral cooperation with other Asia Pacific countries in terms of disaster risk reductions.
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Assistant Secretary Noralene Uy said this as the country will be co-hosting this year’s Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (APMCDRR).
It will be held on Oct. 14 to 18 at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City.
“Ito pong conference na ito ay isang plataporma, kung saan tayo po ay magkaroon ng exchange ng knowledge po sa pagtugon sa disaster risk at magkaroon pa tayo ng strengthened bilateral cooperation (This conference will serve as a platform for us where we have the opportunity to exchange knowledge in responding to disaster risk and to have a strengthened bilateral cooperation),” Uy said in news forum in Quezon City on Saturday, Aug. 24.
The biennial conference comes at a time when the disaster risk landscape has scaled at a different magnitude, she said.
According to the DENR official, the government is continuously encouraging stakeholders to register and join the conference until Sept. 15.
Around 2,500 participants from 62 countries are expected to participate in the event.
In an episode of the Malacañang insider last week, DENR Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga said the Philippines is a model for strategic engagements amid disasters. It’s one of the primary reasons why the country was tapped to co-host the 2024 APMCDRR.
President Marcos earlier ordered the creation of the inter-agency committee tasked to oversee the preparatory and organizing activities for the said event.
The APMCDRR is the main regional platform for promoting the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction in the Asia-Pacific Region.