MANILA, (PIA) — The Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF) has announced it secured approximately $4.5 million in grants from various international organizations as it commenced the new year.
This achievement, along with other significant milestones, was presented at the recent PDRF Board Meeting.
The new funding, received from the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Canadian International Development Agency, the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center, and PepsiCo, will bolster initiatives in disaster preparedness, recovery, private sector engagement in disaster risk reduction (DRR), and gender-inclusive DRR.
During the meeting, co-chaired by Manuel V. Pangilinan and Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, PDRF President Butch Meily highlighted the organization’s numerous accomplishments throughout 2024.
In the past year, PDRF’s disaster response initiatives have reached over 500,000 individuals across 12 regions, mobilizing P47 million in cash and in-kind aid.
Meily also outlined progress in flagship programs such as airport readiness, energy security, area-wide business continuity, forecast-based early action, and emergency communications.
Under the Climate Resilient Cities Project, PDRF successfully installed six Emergency Operations Center (EOC) packages and launched a Private Sector Engagement Playbook, marking a significant step forward in disaster management practices.
Meily further announced new partnerships with organizations and agencies including UNICEF, Deloitte, GSMA, and Direct Relief. He noted PDRF’s international recognition through participation in forums and benchmarking visits, including a notable visit from an Ecuadorian delegation in August 2024, which aimed to learn from PDRF’s private sector engagement strategies.
Additionally, Meily reported on PDRF’s presentation of DRR strategies to the Private Sector Advisory Council of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
PDRF Chief Resilience Officer Guillermo Luz emphasized the renewal of the PDRF EOC lease in Clark, Pampanga, with plans for facility upgrades.
This renewal underscores a strengthened partnership between PDRF, the Clark Development Corporation, and the Bases Conversion Development Authority, paving the way for more impactful disaster resilience programs.
Board members recognized these developments as part of PDRF’s ongoing commitment to enhancing disaster resilience and fostering collaboration across various sectors. (JCO/PIA-NCR)
(Cover photo courtesy: PDRF)
