MINISTERS and heads of disaster management agencies from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) will gather in Manila this week for the Asean Ministerial Conference on Disaster Resilience (AMCDR).
The AMCDR, to be held from Sept. 15 to 16, is a flagship event of the Philippines’ 2026 Asean chairmanship confronting one of the region’s most persistent and costly challenges: its exposure to disaster.
Southeast Asia, with a population of more than 670 million, sits within the Asia-Pacific, the most disaster-prone region in the world.
The 11 Asean member states face multiple hazards, including typhoons, floods, earthquakes, droughts and extreme weather intensified by climate change.
The regional grouping is composed of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Timor Leste, Vietnam and the Philippines.
“These hazards increasingly interact with rapid urbanization, environmental degradation, and other pressures, creating systemic, cascading, and compounding risks,” the Asean 2026 communications team said.
“As a major hub for global trade, manufacturing and investment, disaster disruptions can ripple through supply chains and markets far beyond Southeast Asia,” it added.
Asean represents one of the world’s most dynamic economic regions, with a combined gross domestic product exceeding $3.6 trillion.
Strengthening disaster resilience is therefore essential to sustainable development, economic security and regional stability.
During the two-day program, discussions will move from translating regional and global commitments into action to shaping Asean’s longer-term resilience agenda.
Among the speakers are Gilberto Teodoro Jr., secretary of the Department of National Defense and chairman of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council; Maria Antonia Yulo Loyzaga, special envoy of the president on Disaster Risk Reduction and Management of the Philippines; Dr. Abdul Muhari, deputy minister of the National Disaster Management Authority of Indonesia and chairman of the Asean Ministerial Meeting on Disaster Management; and San Lwin, deputy secretary-general of Asean for the Asean Socio-Cultural Community. Bernadette Tamayo
