The Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) organized an institutional visit to Thailand for the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), the national disaster management office (NDMO) of the Philippines from 03 to 04 April 2024. The 10-person delegation was headed by the OCD Administrator, Undersecretary Ariel F. Nepomuceno.
The OCD delegates visited ADPC, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) that serves as Thailand’s NDMO, and the National Disaster Warning Center (NDWC). Among the topics discussed during the visit to the ADPC head office were the common aspiration to move forward the localization agenda, collaboration for the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (APMCDRR) that will be held in Manila in October 2024, and exploration of joint programs for the Philippines.
The OCD delegation also visited DDPM’s national emergency operations center (EOC), operations center, and data management center. The institutional visit was capped off by a fruitful sharing of insights and experiences about the importance of early warning during a discussion at NDWC.
As a prelude to the activities programmed in the visit, the Executive Committee of ADPC hosted a welcome dinner for the OCD delegation on the day of their arrival in Thailand. It was held at the Park, Grande Centre Terminal 21 Hotel on 02 April 2024. Also present at the event was the Philippine Ambassador to Thailand, HE Mrs. Millicent Cruz-Paredes.
Mr. Hans Guttman, Executive Director of ADPC, sees the visit as an important step in further strengthening the ties between the Philippines and ADPC. The Philippines is among the founding members of ADPC and is a member of ADPC’s Board of Trustees.
