Philippines lauded for disaster risk reduction, climate action
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines’ leadership in disaster risk reduction and climate action was recognized in a regional meeting of Asian Disaster Preparedness Center.
Philippine Ambassador to Thailand Millicent Cruz Paredes led the Philippine delegation to the 18th Meeting of the Regional Consultative Committee of the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) on Jan. 23-24. It was co-hosted by the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation of the Ministry of Interior of Thailand.
The ADPC, a Bangkok-based international organization, held its biennial consultations with its member states, observers, and international partners on the theme of “Sustainable Anticipatory Actions for Resilient Development Goals.”
Key topics covered in the meeting were advancing disaster risk reduction through technology and innovative solutions; supporting the localization of priority actions; and mobilizing disaster and climate financing.
In her opening remarks, Paredes highlighted that the Philippines is most vulnerable to climate change and highly susceptible to extreme weather conditions. To stress this, she cited how in late 2024, six typhoons (including super-typhoons) hit within 30 days – an unprecedented occurrence. She called on all members and partners to lend their full support to the work and the conference of the ADPC.
The ADPC Secretariat, along with the Asia-Pacific office of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, highlighted the active role of the Philippines in disaster risk reduction and climate, notably as chairs of the ADPC 17th RCC meeting in December 2022 and the 2024 Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk both held in Manila.
Noting the value of regional cooperation in addressing shared, transboundary issues such as disasters and climate change, the ambassador renewed the Philippines’ confidence in the ADPC’s continued leverage of its technical expertise and strong networks with local communities and international partners across the region.
The ADPC was established in 1986 as a regional disaster preparedness center, with nine founding members: the Philippines, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri