Marcos to ASEAN: Strengthen cooperation on disasters

MANILA, Philippines — President Marcos has called on members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to strengthen cooperation on disaster resilience as risks confronting the region are “changing faster than ever.”

At yesterday’s ASEAN ministerial conference on disaster resilience at the Conrad Hotel in Pasay, Marcos highlighted initiatives to strengthen disaster preparedness, early warning systems and anticipatory action while improving coordination and mutual assistance among member-states.

Initiatives include the proposed Manila-ASEAN Strategic Protocol for Emergency and Comprehensive Transformation,- or Manila-Aspect Framework, which seeks to boost disaster response and improve coordination in ASEAN.

Marcos cited the government’s enactment of the Declaration of State of Imminent Disaster Act, which allows the state to mobilize resources in anticipation of highly probable and imminent disasters.

Gaps among ASEAN members include differences in knowledge, communication, hazard detection and monitoring capabilities, Marcos said, citing the 2024 report “Strengthening ASEAN Multi-Hazard End-to-End Early Warning System for Natural Disasters.”

The Sept. 15 to 16 conference will conclude with the Manila Declaration on Advancing ASEAN’s Disaster Resilience Agenda Towards 2030 and Beyond. — Pia Lee-Brago