JPM-Press Release-2021-32

The four Filipino officials will undergo an intensive seven-month training on disaster management

10 August 2021–  Four Filipinos are among the 21 members of the seventh batch of the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on disaster management (AHA Centre)   Executive Programme (ACE Programme) which was launched virtually on 6 August 2021.

The Filipino disaster management professionals who qualified in the ACE Programme’s seventh batch are Carl Oliver Luces (Office of Civil Defense-National Capital Region), Marvin Manzano (OCD-National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council), Pebbles Serrano (OCD-NDRRMC) and Nova Eloisa Ybanez (OCD-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao).

Ms. Serrano, a victim of Typhoon Haiyan, shared during the launch that she joined the ACE Programme to further enhance her competency in disaster management through the exchange of best practices in the ASEAN region.

The ACE Programme intends to provide on-the-job training and capacity building for professionals from the National Disaster Management Organizations (NDMOs) of ASEAN Member States. The Programme’s primary aim is to provide the region with a strong network of qualified disaster management professionals to enhance ASEAN Capacity in collectively responding to disasters. 

The seven-month Programme will be done through hybrid mode with 900 hours of online training and 400 hours onsite training once the COVID situation improves next year.

“The ACE Programme has been highly relevant in strengthening our relationship with the NDMOs of ASEAN Member States,” said AHA Executive Director Adelina Kamal during the launch.  “The programme’s alumni have become the champions of One ASEAN, One Response.” (END)