Philippines: NDRRMC, private sector, and UNDP draw up national framework for disaster risk reduction

The Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF) network, together with the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), drew up a national framework on the role of the private sector in disaster risk reduction (DRR) during a workshop held this week in Makati City. Attended by industry leaders and member companies, the event covered the following topics: disaster risk reduction, emergency preparedness, disaster response, and disaster recovery.

“One lesson we have learned is that no one sector or group can do it alone. We have to work together—the government, civil society, international agencies, and businesses,” PDRF President Rene “Butch” Meily said during his opening message.

The workshop highlighted the significance of private sector participation in reducing disaster economic losses, which is also the theme of this year’s International Day for Disaster Reduction (celebrated on October 13).

Also present were Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Administrator Undersecretary Ricardo Jalad, UNDP Inclusive and Sustainable Development Unit Head Floradema Eleazar, and Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) Business Researcher Kilian Murphy.

The workshop was made possible with the support of UNDP through the Connecting Business Initiative (CBI), a network of private sector organizations in 13 countries that was launched at the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul in 2016.

As the country’s major private sector vehicle and coordinator for disaster management, PDRF continuously works with relevant stakeholders in strengthening disaster risk reduction and management policies at the national and local level. Since 2009, it has been recognized as a global model for building local business networks and establishing public-private partnerships in DRR.