14 August 2019 – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Undersecretaryfor Civilian Security and Consular Concerns Brigido J. Dulay, along with the Permanent Representative of the Philippines to ASEAN Ambassador Noel Servigon, DFA Assistant Secretary Imelda M. Panolong, DFA Executive Director Maria Lourdes M. Salcedo, as well as officials from the Philippine Embassy to Indonesia and the Permanent Mission of the Philippines to ASEAN, paid a visit to the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on disaster management (AHA Centre). The group was warmly received by AHA Centre Executive Director Adelina Kamal and Deputy Executive Director Mr. Arnel Capili.

The group toured the state-of-the-art facilities of the AHA Centre, particularly the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) that serves as the central location in monitoring disasters in real time and coordinating ASEAN’s collective response to disasters.

Undersecretary Dulay, who leads the DFA office that manages international humanitarian aid, expressed an interest in capacity-building and training programs that would ensure that DFA personnel would continue to improve and develop skills related to humanitarian assistance and management of humanitarian aid.

Executive Director Kamal expressed the AHA Centre’s appreciation for the Philippine donation at the heels of the earthquake and tsunami that struck a number of areas in Central Sulawesi in October 2018.   The Executive Director reported that the Philippine donation is being used to set up an “ASEAN Village” and that ground-breaking soon and construction is expected to finish in approximately 6 months.

The AHA Centre is an intergovernmental organization which aims to facilitate cooperation and coordination among ASEAN Member States and with the United Nations and international organizations for disaster management and emergency response in the ASEAN region. The Centre is based in Jakarta, Indonesia. END.