Philippines: Angara cites need for regional cooperation to ease disaster risks

According to the Manila Bulletin, Senator Edgardo Angara called on the delegates at the 20th Annual Meeting of the Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF) to intensify regional cooperation and coordination in disaster management. "As Japan has demonstrated, there is no better remedy to a natural disaster than preparedness. We may always try to contain, avoid or mitigate their strength but the wrath of nature will always inflict societal and financial costs. Those costs, and not the disaster themselves, can be mitigated if not avoided. Investing in these risk management mechanisms must always be a priority," Angara said.