NAGA CITY (PIA)—  Philippine Information Agency Camarines Sur and Albay Provincial Information Centers were among the invited partner-agencies during the Asia  Pacific Alliance for Disaster Management-Philippines’ (A-PAD PH) second National Platform Meeting held October 12 to 14 at the Maribagu Resort in Cebu City.

The NPF meeting aimed "to build a cooperative system among A-PAD PH partners on disaster risk management and emergency response that incorporates health and risk communication in disaster preparations," A-PAD PH OIC Executive Director Althea Penaloza said.

Supported by the Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the activity was part of A-PAD’s initiative to strengthen community resilience for Disaster Preparedness and Disaster Response through multi-sectoral Collaboration Project.

Penaloza emphasized the necessity to include Risk Communication and Communication Engagement (RCCE) in A-PAD's national platform as well as the importance of Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) to measure the progress of its various disaster interventions. 

The 2nd NPF meeting focused on these two topics.

A-PAD Advisor Megumi Kuwana, Ph.D, discussed the need for Monitoring and Evaluation in Disaster Risk Management and Emergencies while connecting to the reporting system and learning process that is distinctive to A-PAD as a multi-sectoral platform.

The Monitoring and evaluation session will enable A-PAD PH to assess whether the policies and programs implemented on the grounds were successful or if they satisfied the needs of the intended beneficiaries.

Philippine Information Agency-Camarines Sur Provincial Head and A-PAD PH Trustee,  Ana-Liza S. Macatangay, Ph.D. talked about the significance of Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE).    Part of her talk also focused on the relevance of multi-sectoral collaboration on RCCE.