Western Visayas activates ASEAN plans

ILOILO CITY — The Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) 6 has activated emergency coordination mechanisms for the ASEAN 2026 events in Western Visayas to ensure the safety of delegates and participants.

Office of Civil Defense Western Visayas Regional Director Raul Fernandez announced the activation of the mechanisms, emphasizing the need to maintain strong inter-agency coordination to ensure operational readiness in the region.

Iloilo City and Boracay Island in Western Visayas have been identified as venues for some of the ASEAN meetings.

The STGEPR is coordinating with the Iloilo City government’s DRRM Office to align local resources with the regional deployment plan.

Member agencies have been directed to submit final deployment schedules and assign focal persons for coordination during the ASEAN events.

Fernandez said lessons from the 2017 ASEAN ministerial meetings in Western Visayas are being used to guide preparations for 2026, with a focus on tested emergency systems.

The Iloilo City government began preparations for the ASEAN meetings last year.