MANILA, Philippines - The lessons learned by the Philippines in dealing with the aftermath of Super Typhoon Yolanda were shared in the 3rd United Nations World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction last month in Japan’s Miyagi prefecture, contributing significantly to the crafting of the Sendai Declaration.
Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman said that the Philippines’ participation was much appreciated in the conference held in Sendai City from March 13 to 18, with many from the 70-member delegation serving as resource person in many sessions.
“They appreciated our participation in the conference since we are one of the few countries already risk-conscious and using risk as part of our preparation and our resilience rebuilding effort. All the delegates served as resource persons during the ministerial discussions, [sharing] how we managed and dealt with the disaster,” Soliman said.
The Sendai Declaration, also known as the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, outlines the determination of participating heads of state, ministers, and delegates to strengthen disaster risk reduction and reduce the loss of lives and assets worldwide.
It lays down the framework that will guide the international community to minimize the impact of disasters and make the world safer for present and future generations.
Soliman explained that the priorities of action under the framework are: understanding disaster risk; strengthening disaster risk governance to manage disaster risk; investing in disaster risk reduction for resilience; enhancing disaster preparedness for effective response; and to “build back better” in recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction.
Soliman added that these priority actions will achieve seven global targets:
• substantially reduce global disaster mortality;
• substantially reduce the number of affected people globally;
• reduce direct disaster economic loss in relation to global gross domestic product;
• substantially reduce disaster damage to critical infrastructure and disruption of basic services, among them health and educational facilities, including through developing their resilience;
• substantially increase the number of countries with national and local disaster risk reduction strategies;
• substantially enhance international cooperation to developing countries through adequate and sustainable support to complement their national actions for implementation,
• and substantially increase access to multi-hazard early warning systems and disaster risk information and assessment to the people.
During the conference, Philippine delegates shared their experiences in responding to Yolanda.
Soliman cited a presentation of Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson who talked about the construction of infrastructure to ensure resilience.
National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) director-general Arsenio Balisacan talked about economic laws and how these will help in the rehabilitation of typhoon-hit areas.
Delegates from the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (DOST-PAGASA) showed how the Philippines is now able to forecast better using the technologies of Project NOAH (Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards), which Soliman said drew a substantial audience from other countries, particularly those also vulnerable to climate change.
“We also shared that we have implemented, starting with Typhoon Ruby, the pre-disaster risk assessment strategy where a team determines the geographic specifics and time bound of disasters,” Soliman said.
She added that this team would look at where the typhoon path would be, how many will be affected based on the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction or Listahanan, what infrastructure are at risk, and what kinds of equipment are needed in disaster response.
Soliman said that the delegation had achieved two important things in Sendai.
“We have shown the world that we have learned our lessons, and second there are many partnerships that we have been able to forge specifically with those invested in supporting renewable energies and resilience by way of a risk-informed analysis and risk-informed decision,” Soliman said.
“At the conference, we committed to abide by the framework. Back home, work should start now. We have to start coordinating and collaborating toward the goals of the Sendai Declaration,” she said.