Official Statement of the Republic of the Philippines, Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GPDRR 2022)

Excellencies and distinguished delegates, on behalf of the Philippine government, I thank the government of Indonesia and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) for hosting and organizing this year’s Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction. 

The Philippines is pleased with the progress that we have achieved in the region ahead of our deadline to fulfill our targets.  To further bolster our efforts, we adopted various measures to fulfill our Sendai Framework commitments and agreements. 

Foremost, on policy and strategy, the Philippines updated the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Framework and Plan 2020-2030, underscoring the centrality of risk, and concentrating on an all-hazards approach to address the four priorities for action of the Sendai Framework.  It integrates guiding principles, targets, and indicators with other global frameworks on disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation, and sustainable development, and reinforces strategic directions toward risk-informed investments and gender responsiveness. Moreover, it promotes locally-led and ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation, assures public-private partnerships, and invites public health investments. 

From 2018 up to 2022, the Philippines established targets a, b, c, d, e, f, and g in the Sendai monitoring tool. An inter-agency group was instituted to address data gaps and streamline available data on the Sendai Framework risk reduction, and to enjoin all government entities to provide data support for reporting and monitoring purposes. 

Knowing the importance of data governance, a study on the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction - Climate Change Adaptation (DRR-CCA) data ecosystem was also conducted. It helped us institutionalize the most appropriate inter-agency governance framework. Its results enabled us to design a high-level roadmap for an efficient, robust, and operational DRR-CCA ecosystem to catalyze data-driven decision-making in the country. We bring this data to the public and to our communities through web and mobile platforms containing reliable and timely information. In disaster risk reduction, we believe that innovation and science and technology are the way forward.  

A country-level assessment will likewise be conducted this year, focusing on the disaster risk reduction efforts under the Sendai Framework priorities in order to contribute to its mid-term review. 

As the complexity of risk increases due to the potential impacts of multiple hazards across geographic boundaries, systems, and sectors, the Philippines commits to addressing the key DRRM challenges identified since 2015. These include lessons learned from pandemic-related social and economic concerns. We would like to highlight the aggravating impacts of climate change, which have increased the frequency and intensity of natural disasters, including typhoons, which then become a driver of displacement and migration. Emerging issues through 2030 and beyond will be prioritized, and the whole-of-society approach toward adaptive governance for resilience will be strengthened. 

As we prepare the next medium-term Philippine development plan for the incoming administration, we will ensure that resilience-building and recovery will continue to be at the core of our strategies and priorities for the next six years. The lessons learned from previous disasters and disaster risk reduction undertakings will guide us to make our disaster risk reduction approach more responsive and adaptive. 

Our efforts at the national level inform our strong regional engagement and collaboration, especially with our ASEAN neighbors, through the ASEAN Coordination Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management, or the AHA Centre, and the ASEAN Vision 2025 on Disaster Management.  

Moving ahead, certainly, the Philippines will intensify its DRR advocacy, and will continue to do its share in attaining our shared global goals. We also reiterate the Philippines’ commitment to cooperate closely with the international community and the UNDRR to pool our knowledge, experiences, ideas, and resources to ensure that countries, especially the most vulnerable to disasters, are equipped with the tools to enhance their resilience against disasters.  

Thank you very much and Mabuhay!