Environment and Natural Resources Secretary and chairperson of the National Task Force for Earthquake Resiliency Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga emphasized the importance of the manufacturing sector’s involvement in achieving national resilience. 

“We are facing a great threat in the face of an earthquake scenario, so perhaps in a conversation with the private sector, there can be a dialogue with the government in terms of how do we harden critical zones, so that we can ensure that there will be some kind of continuity in terms of economic stability post-disaster,” Loyzaga told participants to the first coordination meeting of the National Task Force for Earthquake Resiliency (NTFER) convened by the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) on 14 May.

The NTFER was created by Defense Secretary and National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council chairman Gilberto C. Teodoro Jr. to bring together key government agencies and stakeholders to set the groundwork for a unified response to the “Big One” earthquake.

OCD administrator Undersecretary Ariel F. Nepomuceno acknowledged the country’s long-standing efforts to improve disaster response capabilities at the meeting. 

“It is important that we catch up with the likes of Japan. But we are not starting from zero — efforts have long been underway and we are building on those efforts to improve our capabilities necessary for rescue work,” he said.

The meeting served as a platform for sharing critical information on assets, personnel, operational protocols, and logistical capacities. The ultimate goal is to develop a unified, data-informed plan that will guide government response and recovery efforts during large-scale seismic events.