Philippines initiates ASEAN disaster risk management database to combat climate change

By Teresa Umali

As announced by the Department of Finance (DOF), the Philippines urges fellow members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to create a region-wide database on disaster risk management.

The region-wide database on disaster risk management among the ASEAN proposed by the Philippines would allow the sharing of information on mitigating the effects of climate change and guarantee timely assistance during calamities.

DOF Secretary Carlos Dominguez III mentioned that the Philippines is spearheading the proposal by communicating with the private sector to enable better coordination in times of catastrophes and other crises even though there are “existing capacity constraints”.

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Sec Dominguez said that an urgent need to implement disaster risk management measures to protect the country’s vulnerable communities against climate change is brought on by the irreversible damage caused by the inconsistent weather patterns.

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“This is a continuing effort,” Dominguez noted. “Down the road, we are encouraging our partners in the ASEAN to participate in building a region-wide database for disaster risk management and possibly institutional structures that will enable timely cooperation in the face of calamities.”

Other efforts are being put up by the Philippines to counter natural disasters.

(1)    Digitise government assets and infrastructure

(2)    Push legislation that will institutionalise disaster risk financing strategies like reinsurance and government-sponsored risk pools to assist communities in the event of catastrophes.

The most vulnerable local government units (LGU) in the country are now undertaking preliminary studies for a parametric insurance scheme, he furthered.

Green Jobs Act (Republic Act 10771), enacted 2 years ago, provides government incentives for the creation of environment-friendly jobs, usually those that preserve the quality of the environment, decarbonise the economy, protect ecosystems, reduce pollution and restore biodiversity. These incentives include tax deductions and the exemption of capital equipment from customs duties.

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