Art Exhibit on Disaster Preparedness Launches During Asia-Pacific Environmental Meet
An art exhibit focusing on disaster preparedness, response, risk reduction, and management was opened on Monday (Oct 14) on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction, which was held in Manila this week.
The meeting, which brought delegates and officials from the Asia-Pacific region, was conducted as part of its commitment to prevent worse natural disasters from happening or at least prepare for such catastrophes and lessen their impact on several major aspects of any given country in that general area.
The Philippine Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) concurrently held its Fire Square Roadshow at the same event as participating in the conference.
Hundreds of students from the southern Metro Manila suburbs of Las Piñas and Parañaque, as well as members of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines, were in attendance at the fair, which was aimed at educating the general public regarding fire safety and other important lessons related to disaster-related situations in a fun manner.
The conference is intended to monitor and review the 15-year Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction implementation, which is expected to be fulfilled by 2030.
High-ranking conference delegates were then invited to Malacañang, the Philippine presidential palace, for a courtesy call dinner late Monday, hosted by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Marcos emphasized his country’s vital role in ensuring the Sendai Framework would be properly implemented.
“This conference comes at a time when our work to implement the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction is more urgent than ever,” he told delegates. “Here, we can learn from each other, strengthen partnerships, identify innovative ideas, and adopt best practices.”
Remarks by Loyzaga, Kishore
The opening ceremony of the art exhibit “Are You Ready?” took place at SM Mall of Asia’s Music Hall. Philippine Environment Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga and United Nations Assistant Secretary-General Kamal Kishore attended. The event was part of the events ahead of the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction in 2024. The exhibit would also commemorate the 20th anniversary of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami.
Loyzaga was supposed to make a prepared speech during the opening ceremony but instead focused on the artworks exhibited at the event.
“What we see here in these pictures and paintings actually defines what is resilience and what the resilient spirit means,” she said.
Loyzaga also laments the lack or omission of disaster education in classrooms.
On the other hand, Kishore—who was recently named Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction in March this year—said that he “admires [s] the Filipino spirit” of recovering from a natural disaster as quickly as possible. He expressed how the artworks displayed in the exhibit were “moving” and thought of the youth as the future of disaster response.
“To use art as a medium of expression, [not only] to tell the story of our challenges [and] our frustrations but also our triumphs and … our hopes, is really remarkable,” he added.
SM Prime Chairman Hans Sy, other officials from several local governments in the Philippines, and some UN agencies were also in attendance.
The exhibit is expected to be on display until Friday (Oct. 18).