From Left: PCOO Secretary Jose Ruperto Martin M. Andanar, Philippine Ambassador to Indonesia Lee Hiong Tan Wee, Special Assistant to the President Christopher “Bong” Go, Secretary of Foreign Affairs Alan Peter S. Cayetano, Indonesian Ambassador to the Philippines Harry Sarundajang, ASEAN Secretary-General Dato Lim Jock Hoi, Philippine Permanent Representative to ASEAN in Jakarta Ambassador Elizabeth Buensuceso, , and ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on disaster management (AHA Centre) Director of Operations Arnel Capili.
11 October 2018 – Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano and Indonesian Ambassador to the Philippines Dr. Sinyo Harry Sarundajang led a symbolic hand-over ceremony for the Philippine humanitarian assistance to the victims of earthquake-and tsunami-stricken areas of Sulawesi in Indonesia. The Philippines donated USD 300,000 to Indonesia through the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on disaster management (AHA Centre). The ceremony was held before the convening of the ASEAN Leaders’ Gathering in Bali, Indonesia on 11 October 2018. Also present during the ceremony were ASEAN Secretary-General Dato Lim Jock Hoi, in his capacity as ASEAN Humanitarian Assistance Coordinator, and AHA Centre Director of Operations Arnel Capili.
Secretary Cayetano said that the assistance was the Philippines’ way of “returning ASEAN’s kindness by standing together with Indonesia during this time of adversity” just as “ASEAN and the AHA Centre readily provided assistance to the Philippines for those affected by Typhoon Mangkhut (Ompong), super-typhoon Haiyan and the Marawi crisis.”
Earlier on 10 October, the Philippines dispatched a C-130 aircraft to Indonesia carrying USD 200,000 worth of relief goods which included tents, family kits, six (6) generators and six (6) water purification units. The C-130 aircraft will also be assisting in airlifting operations in the disaster-stricken areas in Indonesia.
In the spirit of “One ASEAN, One Response,” ASEAN Member States (AMS) come to the aid of other AMS beset by natural calamities. The AHA Centre, the primary ASEAN regional coordinating agency on disaster management and emergency response, serves as the operational engine of the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER), under which ASEAN Member States jointly respond to disaster emergencies through concerted national efforts and intensified regional and international cooperation.
The AHA Centre assisted in the aftermaths of 23 natural calamities across the region. After Typhoon Mangkhut (Ompong) hit the Philippines, the AHA Centre provided assistance in the form of rice supplies and non-food items such as generators, water filtration units and tarpaulin sheets for temporary roofing, deployment of an ASEAN-Emergency Response and Assessment Team (ASEAN-ERAT) and a standby aircraft from the Royal Malaysian Airforce for possible support for search and rescue operations.
In 2017, the AHA Centre also donated relief items and equipment comprised of 600 family tents, 600 family kits, 3,000 hygiene kits, 600 kitchen sets, and 4 water filtration units for distribution to the displaced Filipinos in Marawi and augmented to the Philippine disaster response cluster.
