Working together to strengthen disaster preparedness
The Australian Civil Military Centre (ACMC), the Philippines Office of Civil Defense and the Armed Forces of the Philippines conducted a three-day disaster relief table top exercise in Manila on 10-12 September.
The activity was part of Australia’s Indo-Pacific Endeavour 2024 (IPE24) to facilitate knowledge sharing between Australian and Philippine agencies on civil-military preparedness and response to major disasters.
The exercise involved more than 60 representatives from Australian and Philippines agencies. They examined civil-military cooperation in response to a hypothetical earthquake impacting metropolitan Manila – in terms of the Philippines domestic response and in the event of a request for international support, involving Australia, United Nations agencies and NGOs.
“Southeast Asia is prone to a range of natural hazards including typhoons and flooding. The frequency and severity of natural disasters, associated with climate change, means that capacity sharing activities such as this exercise are more important than ever,” ACMC Director International and Domestic Engagement, Peter Giugni said. “This activity was an opportunity to share operational experiences and continue to build relationships with Philippines agencies.”
Other IPE24 activities in the Philippines sought to build both countries’ maritime law expertise and embed Gender, Peace and Security into defence planning.
To learn more about ACMC’s commitment to strengthening disaster management capacity, visit: https://acmc.gov.au/why-were-here/disaster-management
