Together We Stand

[ 108 ] stressed at the local levels, in the implementation of commu- nity-based disaster risk management. After the intense experience of Haiyan, the NDRRMC Vice-Chair for response, the Department of Social Welfare and Development, called for the designation of subgroups to focus on particular aspects of response coordination. Agencies tasked to head particular response activities include the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) for international humanitarian relations, AFP for search, rescue and retrieval, and the Philippine National Police for law and order. These subgroups thus served to better manage partnerships with the concerned government agencies. As the Philippines places increasing emphasis on risk reduction and preparedness, the NDRRMC requires its local government partners to conduct pre-disaster risk assessments (PDRA) in order to design better response protocols. The Department of Science and Technology, the NDRRMC Vice-Chair for mitiga- tion, has initiated the award-winning Project NOAH (Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards), which taps scientific and technical partners for detection and warning of geo-hazards. While the bulk of the NDRRMC’s work is concerned with natural disasters, the council is also mandated to manage crises arising from conflict, including provision of assistance to persons displaced by disruptions in law and order. Partnership with the 10 million-strong Filipino diaspora and people-to-people relations are an important thrust of Philippine humanitarian diplomacy. Philippine embassies and consulates around the world consult with migrants’ organizations in the preparation and execution of contin- gency evacuation plans. For such overseas operations the Philippine Government also partners with IOM and other organizations as part of its contingency strategy. Partnerships with the diaspora played a critical role in recent months for the safety and security of Filipino workers in North Africa and the Middle East. The Filipino community in the United States partnered with the Philippine Embassy to form the Philippine Humanitarian Coalition (PHC) to support Haiyan reconstruc- tion. Public contributions for Haiyan from countries such as the United Kingdom reached record levels. The Philippine private sector also values business and public-private partnership for humanitarian and philan- thropic endeavours, informed by its promotion of corporate social responsibility and business continuity planning. Furthermore, the private sector is becoming more engaged in the core business of humanitarian action, as insurance and risk transference strategies and the need to disaster- proof infrastructures are gaining importance. The Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation, the partnership of businesses for DRRM, represents the private sector in the NDRRMC. Humanitarian partnership is not without its challenges. One such challenge is the future of the overall relationship between international humanitarian stakeholders — the United Nations system, other multinational intergovernmental and non-govern- mental organizations and the traditional donor countries —with regard to emerging regional organizations such as ASEAN and strengthened and more capable national governments and stake- holders. The trend has been to support growing regional and national capacities, thus requiring international stakeholders to be more strategic rather than operational in outlook. There is in turn the need for national humanitarian leaders to empower their local partners, given that it is the mayor or village chief rather than the president or prime minister who is at the frontline of humanitarian crises. The ‘bottom-up’ needs to complement the ‘top-down’, while the traditional distinc- tion between humanitarian donor and recipient is blurring. There is also the need to effectively and creatively harness the capabilities of partners at all levels. Communities and stakeholders not traditionally thought of as humanitarian partners can make meaningful contributions to the new global humanitarian architecture. United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon confers with Philippine Foreign Secretary Albert Del Rosario after visiting Haiyan-affected areas, December 2013 Philippine Foreign Secretary Albert Del Rosario meets with the Korean Disaster Response Team deployed to Tacloban for Haiyan relief operations Image: Department of Foreign Affairs, Phillipines Image: Department of Foreign Affairs, Phillipines T ogether W e S tand