MARILAO, Bulacan-SM Prime Holdings President Hans T. Sy is now a member of the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) Private Sector Advisory Group.

Gladiz May Latiza, public relation officer of SM City-Marilao, said in a statement that the group brings together leading global private-sector players aware of the benefits that preventive actions have on their businesses and thus demonstrate their will to make the world more resilient to disaster.

In the UNISDR’s letter of invitation to Sy, Latiza said Margareta Wahlstrom, special representative of the UN secretary general for disaster risk reduction, stated that ‘SM Prime has shown true leadership in disaster risk reduction by hosting the first ‘Top Leaders Forum-Building an Asian Private Partnership to Make Corporations Safer Against Disasters in Manila’ in September 2012.’

Wahlstrom said, ‘SM Prime Holdings has been clearly leading by example by sharing with their private sector colleagues how business community planning can be an effective way to make businesses more resilient against disasters in Asia. I believe that many can learn and benefit from your engagement in disaster-risk reduction.’

‘The private sector is the perfect advocate for resilient thinking because of its direct relationship with customers, suppliers, and everyone else in between,’ Wahlstrom said, noting that it also drives a large percentage of a country’s economy and is strategically placed to make communities safer.

Recognizing the significant role the private sector plays to raise national and local resilience to disasters through awareness-raising and partnerships, Latiza said the UNISDR has worked since October 2010 with a group of private companies through its Private Sector Advisory Group.

The UNISDR Private Sector Advisory Group is an invitation-only group. Other members include Aris Papadopoulos, CEO Titan America; Ajit Gulabchand, Chairman and Managing Director of Hindustan Construction Co. Ltd.; Maxime Chretien, Associate Partner of Forensic and Dispute Services Deloitte SA; Philip Verges, Founder of Small Equity Initiative; Sandra Wu, President and CEO of Kokusai Kogyo Holdings Co. Ltd; and Thomas R. Loster, Chairman of MunichRe Foundation.

The Private Sector Advisory Group, Latiza said, will be playing a significant role at the 2013 Global Platform on Disaster-Risk Reduction in May in Geneva, Switzerland. Ramon Efren R. Lazaro