More engaged private-sector disaster response pressed
Teodoro said regulations should not simply copy international practices without considering local conditions and funding.
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Teodoro said regulations should not simply copy international practices without considering local conditions and funding.
Defense Secretary Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro Jr. called for closer government-private sector coordination in preparing for and responding to large-scale disasters, particularly earthquakes.
Speaking at a dialogue on earthquake resilience Monday, Teodoro said the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) and the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) should focus on anticipating disasters, prepositioning supplies and protecting critical infrastructure and essential services.
“I’ve given a strict directive that they should concentrate on anticipation and response to those disasters that we can anticipate, coordinate government response to areas which are affected or which may be affected,” Teodoro said.
He said the government had begun prepositioning supplies in different regions to make them more readily available during disasters.
Teodoro said the NDRRMC and OCD should also facilitate partnerships with the private sector to ensure the continued delivery of essential services after major earthquakes.
He cited lessons from the Covid-19 pandemic, saying the government needed private-sector input to maintain services such as banking, information technology and cybersecurity systems.
“How we can help you, how we can have structured engagements and partnerships with you, and that is where we want to structure our engagement to a sustainable one, a purposive one, and one with definitive outcomes,” he said.
The dialogue, “Engineering Resilience: Building to Last Towards a National Public-Private Partnership for Earthquake Resilience,” was organized by Special Envoy for Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga and the OCD.
Teodoro also cautioned against excessive regulation, particularly rules imposed without considering business operations or who would shoulder compliance costs.
He said regulations should not simply copy international practices without considering local conditions and funding.
