Metro Manila to lead 2013 Asian Network for Disaster Management

Metro Manila Development Authorty Chairman Francis Tolentino announced today that next year, Metro Manila will host the 2013 Asian Network for Disaster Management Conference, tentatively scheduled on July 2013 to coincide with National Disaster Consciousness Month.

The Conference is an annual event hosted in turn by member-cities of the Asian Network for Major Cities 21. ANMC21 is an international network which undertakes joint projects on common tasks for the prosperity and development of the Asian region in areas such as crisis management, environmental countermeasures and industrial development.

ANMC21 joint projects tackle common problems of major cities. The City of Tokyo organized the Crisis Management Conference for member cities to share experiences and know-how on crisis management, and foster human resources for handling the same.

The Conference also builds a crisis management network to facilitate the swift exchange of information in times of emergencies such as typhoons, earthquakes, tsunamis and other calamities. Since its inception in 2003, Crisis Management Conferences have been held in Tokyo, Taipei, Seoul, Singapore, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo and Bangkok. It was through Chairman Tolentino's initiative that Metro Manila participated in the Conference beginning Year 2011.

Metro Manila was confirmed as the 2013 host during the recently-concluded 10th Crisis Management Conference held in Bangkok, Thailand. The MMDA Chief attended the Bangkok conference together with acting Mayor of Malabon Antolin M. Oreta III and Marikina Vice Mayor Jose Fabian I. Cadiz.

"The Conference is our platform to share what we're doing in Metro Manila, and learn from other cities. Our interventions may not be grandiose, but they're functional," the MMDA Chief said. "With our limited resources, we do not have the luxury to be sophisticated. We can address a crisis situation in a manner that is down-to-earth, economical but effective. The Conference allows us to collectively build confidence that we are moving in the right direction."

Chairman Tolentino cited the Agency's various flood control and crisis interventions such as the design of low-cost flood boats, distribution of emergency tents, setting up community-level Flood Control Bayanihan Zone Alliances, regular estero clean-ups or "Estero Blitzes", preparation of a four-volume flood control plan and the long-term Metro Manila Greenprint 2030. - MMDA — ARA