By SAMMY JULIAN
Manila News Bureau Chief
MANILA — A top official of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) called on the international community to provide fresh support for the recovery and rehabilitation needs of communities affected by super typhoon “Yolanda” (international name: Haiyan) in the Philippines.
“We accomplished so many things when we responded together to help the communities affected by (super) typhoon Haiyan,” said Asean secretary-general Le Luong Minh at the opening of a high-level conference on Assistance for the Recovery of Yolanda Affected Areas (ARYA) held in Taguig City.
“Now I call on all of us to come together once more to continue supporting these communities to fully recover from the damages caused by the typhoon,” he said.
Minh’s appeal for support was echoed by Presidential Assistant for Recovery and Rehabilitation Panfilo Lacson, who is also the conference’s co-convener.
“I invoke Asean’s call for unity so we can take on big and powerful calamities such as Haiyan. Let us always be prepared and act with resilience,” said Lacson, who described “Yolanda” as a “superpower” that cut a swathe of devastation in the country. “The Philippine government cannot thank Asean enough. We are forever grateful.”
The conference was part of Asean’s strategic plan to support recovery efforts in the Philippines.
Representatives from Asean member states, cabinet members, Asean dialogue partners, international agencies including the United Nations and international nongovernment organizations, and the private sector took part.
Also present were local chief executives of affected towns, including Mayor Leonardo Javier Jr. of Javier, Leyte, who pitched for support for health and livelihood.
Asean also called on the international community to adopt typhoon-affected municipalities.
A capacity building workshop for municipalities affected by the typhoon was conducted after the conference to raise their capacity for disaster recovery.
Asean spearheaded ARYA in collaboration with the Office of the Presidential Assistant for Recovery and Rehabilitation and the Department of Foreign Affairs.
The conference was able to generate fresh commitments for ARYA through the sharing of expertise and experience on building disaster-resilient communities, and technical, technological and financial contributions from various sources, the Asean Secretariat said.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario, meanwhile, described the disaster as a “heartrending journey for our people.”
However, “despite the great loss arising from this tragedy, the Philippine experience presents us with a strategic opportunity to develop an effective regional template in addressing critical post-disaster recovery and rehabilitation in the face of mega disasters,” del Rosario said.
“Yolanda” severely affected more than six million people and left 6,300 people dead in the central provinces in November last year.
Asean member states were the first to respond to the Philippines at the onset and aftermath of the disaster.
As the conference concluded, Myanmar, represented by its ambassador to the Philippines, Ye Myint Aung, noted that the resources needed to bring back normality to the lives of the affected communities are staggering.
But, after hearing the pledges of support from Asean partners, he said there is “more reason to be optimistic and more reason to hope that the communities affected by (super) typhoon Yolanda will truly recover.”/PN
