Ferliza Calizar-Contratista
CEBU
CITY, September 7 (PIA)—Asia
Pacific Economic Conference (APEC) member-economies discussed ways for
immediate and less costly disaster response during the meeting in Cebu.
Dr. Alan Bollard, executive director of the APEC
Secretariat, said that included in the discussions of APEC delegates are
finalizations of “Disaster Risk Finance-APEC Roadmap of Resilient Economies”
which is included in the soon-to-be launched Cebu Action Plan.
Bollard, in a briefing at the International
Media Center, said the discussions about disaster risks and management
among APEC economies had been ongoing earlier this year.
Disaster, he said, is an issue common among APEC
member-economies and had greatly affected economic activities.
“We're talking about how to ensure we can get
equipment quickly into countries and across borders when there is a natural
disaster,” Bollard said.
This after certain provisions imposed oftentimes
prevented easier and faster transfer of needed equipment during or
immediately after a natural disaster.
Other important suggestion is disaster risk
financing and disaster insurance, an initiative he said is led by the
Philippines which has been coping a number of disasters over the years.
It was reported earlier that the Philippines has
secured the assistance of World Bank in developing an insurance framework
wherein disaster-prone provinces will pool risks and then have these risks
insured collectively.
In case a province is hit by disaster, it can
file claims from the insurance facility.
Implementing it in a regional scale was studied
by the APEC members.
Other topics in the APEC meetings in Cebu
include urbanization and building better cities, ridding regions of illegal
logging trade, international money maundering, corruption, and terrorist
financing.
Over 80 meetings are held in Cebu from August 22
until September 11. (rmn/fcc/PIA7-Cebu)