14 February 2017 GENEVA – The Philippines highlighted its best practices on military coordination in humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR) at the annual meeting of the Consultative Group on Humanitarian Civil-Military Coordination (UN-CMCoord CG) on February 09.

The UN-CMCoord CG meeting is part of the Third Humanitarian Networks and Partnership Week (HNPW) in Geneva, Switzerland from February 06-10.

“In order to carry out its role, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has a built-in organizational structure that is tasked to do HADR in the event of calamities or disasters. It does not act independently but works in unison with the rest of government under the National Disaster Response Plan (NDRP),” said Brigadier General Restituto Padilla, Jr., Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Civil Military Operations and Spokesperson of the AFP, further stating that “the AFP also recognizes that in order to save more lives in times of crisis, coordination among the different actors is critical for sharing information, planning, and dividing tasks.”

The AFP established a Multinational Coordination Center (MNCC), which aims to facilitate, in times of disasters, coordination and cooperation with the assisting foreign military forces to support the conduct of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) and the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) are lead government agencies that oversee and provide overall guidance in the MNCC.

Brigadier General Padilla is a member of the Philippine Delegation to the Third Humanitarian Networks and Partnership Week which was held in Geneva, Switzerland to provide a medium for experts and experienced humanitarian responders to discuss common challenges and explore possible innovative solutions. END