ANGARA CALLS FOR EFFICIENT DISASTER RESPONSE

Speaking at a conference entitled 'Engineering Resilience: Confronting Risk Beyond Adaptation', Senator Edgardo J. Angara underscored the importance of raising the country's level of preparedness in the face of the rising challenges brought by natural catastrophes.

"When typhoon Ondoy hit Metro Manila last September, it had destroyed infrastructure and wiped out the gains we made in modernizing our cities - the issue of climate change adaptation was suddenly catapulted to national attention," said Angara, Chair of the Congressional Commission on Science, Technology and Engineering(COMSTE).

He added, "Resilience is the ability of a nation to bounce back in the face of calamity. This is why it is important for the Philippines to understand and minimize the vulnerability of its cities, especially Metro Manila, which is mostly below sea level," said Angara.

"With this gathering of minds and sharing of experiences, we can utilize the tools of science and technology to help prepare both the government and our society to appreciate and recognize the genuine risks to life and limb of our people. We have to pool our limited resources and tap the benefits of Public-Private Partnerships to mobilize and motivate our people to action," Angara noted.

The conference was organized by the Congressional Commission on Science, Technology, and Engineering (COMSTE) and the Manila Observatory (MO), and gathered scientists and experts from the Philippines and all over the world to tackle issues related to climate change, disaster management, and food security through the use of Science and Technology.