Author: admin
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Lessons from Typhoon Ompong
By Amb. Roberto R. Romulo Of the 95 fatalities so far reported as a direct result of Typhoon Ompong that slammed into Northern Luzon last week, 16 people perished from the wind and flooding that it brought. The majority of those who perished – 79 so far – was the result of a landslide that…
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Opinion: Disaster-prone Asia must not cut corners on critical infrastructure
By Mami Mizutori Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) Much of the success in reducing mortality from disasters across Asia and the Pacific, particularly in the case of storms and floods, is due to improvements in early warning systems, weather forecasts and timely evacuations.…
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10 reasons businesses need to build resilience to disasters
By Mami Mizutori Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) This article is part of the World Economic Forum on ASEAN Extreme weather events were seen as the most prominent risk in the World Economic Forum’s 2018 Global Risks Report. Whether it’s the threat of…
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Huge step towards disaster resilience
By Amb. Roberto R. Romulo President Duterte’s earnest call for Congress to pass a law creating a Department of Disaster Resilience during his 3rd State of the Nation Address (SONA) is hopefully the start of a serious effort to address our country’s inadequate disaster management capabilities. The President had made a similar call in his…
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A resilient PHL
In the past many believed: “On the uncertainties that mother nature ordains, there is not much we can do other than cope with them”. Today, I have asked Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga, the President of the National Resilience Council, a public- private science technology based partnership to write about how to achieve resilience.
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Consolidating resilience endeavors
By Amb. Roberto R. Romulo I begin this column by quoting Mrs. Toni Yulo-Loyzaga, Chairperson of the International Advisory Board, Manila Observatory: “The Sendai Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR) identified four priorities: Understanding risk, Strengthening disaster risk governance, Investing in disaster risk reduction for resilience, and, Enhancing preparedness for effective response to build back …
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Earthquakes: Are we prepared?
By Amb. Roberto R. Romulo The National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council has enhanced their capability substantially since Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda. On the other hand, the private sector pioneered by the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF) led by Manuel V. Pangilinan and Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala has also done an extremely credible job. Yet neither…
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Disaster resilience: Getting our act together
By Amb. Roberto R. Romulo It is a well-known fact that the Philippines is the third most vulnerable to disaster after Vanuatu and Tonga. I was delighted to learn that that there is a research project that would like to explore how humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) missions can be “re-contextualized” as missions aimed…
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Building a disaster resilient Phl
By Amb. Roberto R. Romulo As I read this definition, I conclude that the mayors should be the first to prepare and respond to disasters. They are the front line and that is why every city has a Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (DRRMC). They are fully aware that the Philippines is the third most…