TOP BUSINESS leaders in the Philippines have joined together to strengthen the country’s disaster risk reduction and development efforts.
 
In an unprecedented forum held at Tower Club in Makati City, the country s top businessmen pledged to work together to support government efforts to make communities and businesses disaster resilient.
 
The dialogue, hosted by National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) chair and National Defense Secretary Voltaire T. Gazmin was attended by SM Prime Holdings president Hans Sy Ramon Ang of San Miguel Corp., Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala of Ayala Corp., Faraday Go of Robinson’s Land Federico Lopez of First Philippine Holdings, Doris Magsaysay-Ho of A. Magsaysay Inc. Manuel Pangilinan of Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. and Smart Communications, and Ambassador Roberto Romulo of the Carlos P. Romulo Foundation.
 
Also in attendance were Luis Cardinal Tagle, Social Welfare Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman, Science and Technology Secretary Mario Montejo, Climate Change Secretary Emmanuel De Guzman and NDRRMC Executive Director and Civil Defense Administrator Undersecretary Alexander Pama.
 
The businessmen expressed their commitment ‘to support efforts that will catalyze and promote convergence of government-private sector disaster risk reduction and management (DRR1IJ advocacies and activities.
 
Gazmin highlighted the importance of the unprecedented meeting saying “this corning together ushers in a new and mutually reinforcing partnerships between and among government and private sector companies. By this time, we can cover more bases and promote efficiencies in our efforts.”
 
The business leaders welcomed the opportunity to work with government in the areas of economic risk assessment; business operations continuity; sustainable livelihoods; disaster risk financing; logistics and supply chain management; communications and infrastructure; and health and safer shelter, among others.
 
They recognized the importance of designating focal points for coordination in the public and private sector to ensure the unimpeded delivery of interventions.
 
Sy said SM Prime would continue to do DRR despite the challenges and limitations.
 
“I’ve always been a firm believer that DRR makes good business sense, and I’ve been practicing that actually for I should say more than 20 years, or in fact, maybe 30 years, but also maybe because basically I am an engineer myself so I’m very conscious about these programs,” he said.
 
Sy is the only Filipino International Board Member of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction’s Arise Private Sector Alliance for Resilient Societies.
 
An example of SM’s disaster resilient business is SM City Marikina, which is situated on a flood-prone area. The mall was built on concrete stilts such that when the Marikina River overflowed, it allowed an unimpeded flow of floodwater through the two-level basement parking.