At the Global Platform on DRR in Cancun, Mexico

Partnership Between Gov’t, Stakeholders Best Approach to Collect Disaster Displacement Data – PHL

Ambassador Evan P. Garcia (left), Permanent Representative of the Philippine Mission to the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva, and Dr. Emmanuel Luna (right) of DRRNet Philippines, jointly represent the Philippines in the side event on “Protecting Disaster Displaced Persons through Better Data and Knowledge on Displacement Risks” on May 24, 2017 in Cancun, Mexico.

03 June 2017 CANCUN, MEXICO – The Philippine Government said that one of the best approaches to address collection of disaster displacement data would still be partnership with stakeholders.

Ambassador Evan P. Garcia, Permanent Representative of the Philippine Mission to the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva, expressed this during the side event on “Protecting Disaster Displaced Persons through Better Data and Knowledge on Displacement Risks” last 24 May in Cancun, Mexico.

Ambassador Garcia gave account of the Philippine Government’s experience in considering disaster displacement data in national disaster risk reduction (DRR) strategies, practice and reporting.

“There was considerable awareness among government authorities of the situation of displacement in the Philippines and that a number of steps had been taken to address the problem, in particular at the policy level,” he said, highlighting that the country endeavors to integrate provisions for displacement in its DRR strategies.

“The challenge now is to ensure the implementation of our policies on the ground. In this regard, we recognize that collection of data on disaster displacement to obtain a more accurate information on displaced people’s needs in order to provided them with targeted responses more effectively is indeed very important,” he added.

“We endeavor to address our displacement challenges in the country in the best way possible with utmost consideration to the overall welfare and protection of our population,” he said.

Ambassador Garcia likewise discussed the need for sustained international cooperation on this matter and highlighted the Philippines’ active involvement and cooperation with UN agencies and international organizations, especially in the Platform on Disaster Displacement, as well as in promoting, together with other ASEAN countries, the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER), ASEAN’s manifestation of its strong commitment to reduce disaster losses in the region.

The Philippine Government’s approach to displacement issues goes beyond the provisions care and assistance to those displaced. It also endeavors to address the roots of displacement and vulnerability of displaced populations through response interventions in accordance with the situation on the ground and the protection requirements of disaster workers and displaced populations.

His remarks was complemented by the participation in the side event of Dr. Emmanuel Luna of DRRNet Philippines who also shared the academe’s perspective on DRR and displaced communities.

“In the Philippines, other stakeholders such as civil society organizations and the academe are engaged in data and knowledge generation on displaced people and communities. These data are used for identifying the displaced people and their conditions, as well in advocacy for provision of services to protect the displaced people and for greater government accountability,” he said.

The side-event discussed key opportunities for the inclusion of disaster displacement considerations into national and regional DRR policies by 2020 (Target E) and the efforts supported by the Platform on Disaster Displacement towards that goal.

The Philippines is one of the founding steering members of the Platform on Disaster Displacement (PDD), an initiative currently being chaired by Germany, which is a follow-up to the work of the Nansen Initiative. The PDD aims to support the implementation of the recommendations made in the Nansen Initiative Agenda for the Protection of Cross-Border Displaced Persons in the Context of Disasters and Climate Change.

Policy coherence and mainstreaming of human mobility challenges in, and across, relevant policy and action areas, is one of the four strategic priorities of the Platform on Disaster Displacement.  END