ARISE Philippines and NRC drive efforts to build a more resilient future
Leading Philippine property developer SM Prime Holdings, Inc. (SM
Prime), under the unwavering advocacy of its Chairman, Hans Sy, reaffirms its
commitment to disaster risk resilience as an active participant in two prominent
resilience networks: ARISE Philippines and the National Resilience Council
(NRC). These networks, instrumental in strengthening the Philippines' disaster
preparedness and response mechanisms, will be showcased at the upcoming
Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (APMCDRR), which
carries the theme “Surge to 2030: Enhancing Ambition in Asia-Pacific to
Accelerate Disaster Risk Reduction.”
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| SM Prime Chairman of the Executive Committee Hans Sy addresses the plenary at the United Nations 2019 Global Platform. |
The first private sector awardee of the Philippine Resilience Awards’
“Dangal ng Pilipino sa Pag-agapay sa Ligtas na Sambanayan” by the Office of
Civil Defense, Mr. Sy's journey in championing resilience began with his
invitation to the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)
Private Sector Advisory Board. His dedication to integrating disaster
resilience into SM Supermalls, evident in SM City Marikina’s standing on
concrete stilts, SM Mall of Asia’s higher seawall and wick drains, and the
incorporation of rainwater catchment basins in 25 malls, led to his election as
the first Filipino member of the UNDRR ARISE Private Sector Alliance for
Disaster Risk Reduction's global network.
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The ARISE PH Board and members assemble for their annual general meeting. |
“SM Prime places crucial importance on risk-informed investments. It allows us to serve communities better, to increase our value, to be an asset to the government, and to of course continue our business successfully,” said Mr. Sy at the 2019 UN Global Platform where he spoke about SM’s best practices on business resilience.
During his term with ARISE Global, Mr. Sy actively shaped global
strategies for private sector engagement in disaster risk reduction. He
continues this commitment as a driving force behind ARISE Philippines,
spearheading collaborative projects with corporations to strengthen national
disaster preparedness. Simultaneously, Mr. Sy serves as Co-Convener for the
Private Sector in the NRC, a multi-sectoral group collaborating with the
academe, civil society organizations, and local governments to enhance
community resilience. The NRC’s Adopt-A-City program has been a model
public-private partnership for local climate and disaster risk capacity
building and training, especially among local government units.
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| Public and private sector representatives visit the National Resilience Council booth. |
Underscoring its dedication to resilience, SM Prime hosted the Top
Leaders Forum 2023 together with the ARISE Philippines network. Held on the
International Day for Disaster Reduction, the event gathered top-caliber
representatives from the UNDRR, Department of Environment and Natural Resources
(DENR), Department of National Defense, and other resilience groups. This forum
celebrated the announcement of Manila as the host city for the APMCDRR in 2024.
It also was the venue of the Women International Network on Disaster Risk
Reduction (WINDRR) Leadership awarding ceremony, where SM Prime proudly
sponsored the Excellence Award for exceptional professional success in DRR. The
Philippine Resilience Awards for Women were also handed out by the Climate
Change Commission, together with the Office of Senator Loren Legarda, WINDRR,
SM Prime, ARISE Philippines, and NRC.
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| Partnerships take center stage at the launch of the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (APMCDRR) last October 2023. |
In anticipation of the APMCDRR, ARISE Philippines and the NRC, with support from SM Prime and DENR, are collaborating to showcase the Philippines' commitment to disaster risk reduction. Delegates will have the privilege to hear from Mr. Sy and the leaders of ARISE and NRC at the APMCDRR, taking place from October 14 to 18, 2024, at the Philippine International Convention Center. (SM Supermalls)
