Execs Tackle Disaster Reduction PPP in Forum

Filipino business leaders and government officials explored public-private partnerships for disaster risk reduction during the third Top Leaders Forum held Monday, Nov. 10, 2014, at SMX Convention Center, Pasay City. The event was hosted by SM Prime Holdings, Inc.  (SMPHI) and United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR).

The declaration created during the discussions in the forum will be the contribution of the private sector in the Philippines to the UNISDR’s Private Sector Advisory Group for the World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction to be held in Sendai, Japan on March 2015. Said conference will adopt a new disaster reduction framework to replace the existing Hyogo Framework for Action set to end next year.

Drafted in by UNISDR 2005, the Hyogo Framework for Action is a 10-year plan to explain, describe, and detail the efforts required from different sectors to reduce disaster losses.

“Enhancing disaster risk reduction is a collective responsibility. The commitment to innovation, the role of risk transfer and insurance to disaster risk reduction and putting business continuity plans in place is now highly considered and recognized in our business operation,” Sy said.  

Like previous sessions, the event included presentations from subject matter experts as well as knowledge-sharing sessions among high-level participants.

Last year, discussions in Top Leaders Forum focused on incentives for risk-informed business practices and disaster-resilient investments.