U.S. launches Php45 million project to boost public-private disaster response

The United States government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), in partnership with the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF) and the Philippine Office of Civil Defense (OCD), launched the Php 45 Million Cooperation for Resilience through Public-Private Partnerships (CORE-3Ps) project to improve disaster response by strengthening collaboration between the public and private sectors.

The three-year project will encourage private businesses to support OCD in its mission to improve preparedness and respond to crises. CORE-3Ps will bring together the public and private sectors to strategically plan for disaster risks, optimize the deployment of resources, and communicate more efficiently in the face of disasters.

Ensuring both sectors are better equipped to manage disasters and can take unified action will benefit communities across the country.

“Through innovative private sector leaders in disaster management like PDRF, and committed government partners like OCD, the CORE-3Ps project holds the potential to unlock more sustainable and effective disaster response in the Philippines through institutionalized collaboration between the private and public sector,” said USAID

Philippines Acting Mission Director Rebekah Eubanks at the project launch in Makati City.

In his opening message during the signing of Memorandum of Agreement formalizing the partnership, PDRF President Rene Meily emphasized the private sector’s commitment to supporting nation-building through OCD, “It’s not just an agreement and piece of paper, it is the commitment by the companies that compose PDRF to help you in the time of your need to the extent of our resources–you can count on us in terms of whatever we can provide whether in logistics or in other areas.”

The CORE-3Ps project builds on the United States efforts to support disaster response and preparedness in the Philippines. Since 2010, the U.S. government, through USAID, has provided more than Php21.9 billion ($390.2 million) in disaster relief and recovery aid and boosted the disaster risk reduction capacity across the country.