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LANGKAWI: The Philippines hopes Asean will put a focus on disaster management and climate change initiatives, as the region grapples with increasing vulnerabilities to natural disasters.
Philippine foreign secretary Enrique Manalo said his country was open to discussing Asean mechanisms for disaster response “because on our own, the Philippines has already taken some initiatives to handle natural disasters and disaster risk reduction”.
Speaking to FMT in an interview, he said: “All countries, large or small, are affected by climate change, which is now a reality and no longer something in the distant future. It would also be important for Asean to focus on this issue as a group.”
Manalo is in Langkawi to attend the Asean foreign ministers’ retreat. It is attended by foreign ministers and senior officials of all 10 Asean members, with Timor Leste’s foreign minister attending as an observer.
Manalo said a key disaster response initiative involved the Philippines hosting a board dedicated to providing disaster relief funds.
“The Philippines will be the headquarters of the board of the Loss and Damage Fund, which plays an important role in acquiring finances to help countries undertake climate action activities, especially in terms of mitigation and adaptation,” he said.
The board will oversee the disbursement of funds starting this year.
The Philippines is ranked the most disaster-prone country in the world, with 87% of its population affected by disasters in the past five years, while Southeast Asia is among the most disaster-prone areas globally, experiencing over 150 natural disasters annually, including floods, storms and earthquakes.
After the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, Asean members signed an agreement to collaborate on disaster management, and set up a coordinating centre for humanitarian assistance in 2011.
Singapore-based policy analyst Joel Ng agreed that Asean must give priority to managing climate change. He said the transition to a more sustainable and environmentally friendly region would be economically expedient.
“By tapping into the clean and renewable energy resources that our neighbours possess, everyone stands to benefit. This access would allow us to leverage clean energy, enhance the asset market, and enable regions with these resources to benefit from larger markets.
“It might not capture the headlines, but it is a significant issue, and I hope we can make considerable progress on this, given the theme of sustainability,” he said.
The Langkawi retreat is the first event hosted by Malaysia as the current Asean chairman.