ASEAN ministers have adopted the Manila Declaration on disaster resilience and are seeking the endorsement of regional leaders for a shared vision aimed at strengthening ASEAN's ability to respond to emerging and systemic risks.

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., chair of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, presided over the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Ministerial Conference on Disaster Resilience Ministerial Meeting, where ministers from ASEAN member states adopted the declaration on 16 September.

The meeting provided ASEAN members an opportunity to exchange knowledge, best practices and lessons to strengthen the safety and well-being of communities and improve the region's resilience.

The Manila Declaration affirms ASEAN's collective commitment to accelerating the implementation of the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response Work Programme 2026-2030.

It also calls for stronger accountability, monitoring and learning on disaster resilience and seeks to shape ASEAN's disaster resilience agenda toward 2030 and beyond.

“It likewise reaffirms the role of ASEAN as a global leader and convener in disaster resilience, as well as our commitment to sharing lessons, innovations, and good practices with the international community,” Teodoro said.

With the concurrence of all ASEAN member states, the declaration is set to be noted by regional leaders at the 49th ASEAN Summit in November.

Teodoro also said the Philippines will seek the endorsement of the ASEAN Leaders' Statement on the Resilient, Innovative, Sustainable and Empowered ASEAN Vision, or RISE ASEAN Vision, subject to the consensus of all member states.

The proposed statement sets out a shared vision of a resilient, innovative, sustainable and empowered ASEAN, defined as “one that can better anticipate, withstand, adapt, recover, and thrive in the face of complex and systemic risks while leaving no one behind.”

“We are hopeful that these critical directions will reduce risks, accelerate resilience, and transform the lives of our people. For our part, the Philippines remains firmly committed to building and enhancing ASEAN solidarity. This is the indispensable pathway to ensuring resilience, security, and prosperity in our region, not only today, but for generations yet to come,” Teodoro said.

In his closing remarks at the two-day conference held from 15 to 16 September, Teodoro called for continued cooperation and the development of effective solutions beyond the meeting.

“I am hopeful that we will continue to work with one another faster, more often, on a more collaborative basis—not only within ASEAN, but with the international community within which we coexist—in the pursuit of a safer, more prosperous, and more resilient future for our people,” he said.

The conference, themed “Twenty Years of AADMER: Advancing Global Commitments Toward a Resilient ASEAN Beyond 2030,” is a flagship activity of the Philippines' 2026 ASEAN chairship.

It brought together ASEAN ministers, disaster management officials and representatives from international organizations and civil society groups.