In October 2022, the Philippine Academic Society for Climate and Disaster Resilience (PASCDR) and the UP Resilience Institute (UPRI), with the Philippine Preparedness Partnership (PhilPrep), brought together DRRM leaders in different sectors to discuss opportunities for better collaboration between and among the academic community and various stakeholders in DRRM. Some identified opportunities included making research outputs more accessible and usable for LGUs and the general public and encouraging community-led actions. Building on this, the PASCDR and UPRI, now in partnership with the University of Santo Tomas (UST), met last 17 May 2024 to plan for a DRRM Summit on October.
The meeting was held at the Office of Student Affairs Conference Room of the Tan Yan Kee Student Center of the University of Santo Tomas. Dr. Emmanuel M. Luna, President of PASCDR, led the meeting with Asst. Professor Ruben M. Gamala, Director of the UPRI Education Division. Representatives from UST are Director Froilan A. Alipao and Ms. Veronica Michelle L. Moreno of the UST Simbahayan Community Development Office, Dr. Juliano S. Parena Jr., Director of the UST Campus Safety and Security Office, Assoc. Prof. Jose Ricarte B. Origenes, Mr. Mark O. Suiza, and Mr. Adrian D. Romero of the UST-NSTP Program. Ms. Monica May L. Mendoza, Mr. Benjamin I. Aquino, and Mr. Gabriel C. Tan, staff of the UPRI Education Division and members of the PASCDR Secretariat, were also present.
The upcoming summit will convene key actors from the LGUs, the academic community, and other sectors to further strengthen the partnership of local stakeholders in disaster risk reduction and management. It aims to identify avenues for collaboration and discuss the role of the academe in supporting LGU initiatives through technical assistance, specialized knowledge, and data-driven insights.
The DRRM Summit will be held in October at the University of Santo Tomas main campus in the City of Manila.