14 February 2017 GENEVA – The Philippine Government and United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) expressed renewed commitment to strengthen their partnership in disaster risk reduction (DRR), including keeping the momentum in the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030.

This was the highlight of the meeting held in Geneva recently between Undersecretary Ricardo B. Jalad, new Administrator of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) and Executive Director of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) and Dr. Robert Glasser, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction.

Dr. Glasser thanked the Undersecretary for the Philippines’ leadership in DRR and commended it for its active engagement in DRR globally.

Undersecretary Jalad likewise expressed the Philippine government’s appreciation to Dr. Glasser and for UNISDR’s active support for the Philippines in DRR.

During the meeting, Undersecretary Jalad cited the amendatory bill to Republic Act 10121 or the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) Act of 2010, a priority legislation of the administration. The congressional oversight committee in the Philippines recently evaluated RA 10121, after its five years of implementation. Many of the elements in the amendatory bill also reflect the principles found and enumerated in the Sendai Framework.

Both sides also discussed the upcoming Global Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction (GP17) to be held in Cancun, Mexico in May this year.

The Philippine Government and the UNISDR has a long-standing partnership in addressing disaster risk reduction in the Philippines. Both sides engage in training and workshops on DRR as well as in other DRR-related projects. There were likewise 37 high-level visits to the Philippines from UNISDR for the past five years.  The UNISDR’s Regional Office in Bangkok covers the Philippines. END