LEADING Philippine property developer SM Prime Holdings Inc. (SM Prime), under the unwavering advocacy of its chairman, Hans Sy, reaffirms its commitment to disaster risk resilience as an active participant in two prominent resilience networks: Arise Philippines and the National Resilience Council (NRC).
SM Prime Chairman of the Executive Committee Hans Sy addresses the plenary at the United Nations 2019 Global Platform. CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS
These networks, instrumental in strengthening the Philippines’ disaster preparedness and response mechanisms, will be showcased at the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (APMCDRR) 2024, which carries the theme “Surge to 2030: Enhancing Ambition in Asia-Pacific to Accelerate Disaster Risk Reduction.”
The first private sector awardee of the Philippine Resilience Awards’ Dangal ng Pilipino sa Pag- agapay sa Ligtas na Sambanayan by the Office of Civil Defense, Sy’s journey in championing resilience began with his invitation to the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) Private Sector Advisory Board.
His dedication to integrating disaster resilience into SM Supermalls, evident in SM City Marikina’s standing on concrete stilts, SM Mall of Asia’s higher seawall and wick drains, and the incorporation of rainwater catchment basins in 25 malls, led to his election as the first Filipino member of the UNDRR Arise Private Sector Alliance for Disaster Risk Reduction’s global network.
“SM Prime places crucial importance on risk-informed investments. It allows us to serve communities better, to increase our value, to be an asset to the government, and to of course continue our business successfully,” Sy said at the 2019 UN Global Platform where he spoke about SM’s best practices on business resilience.
The Arise Philippines board and members assemble for their annual general meeting.
During his term with Arise Global, he actively shaped global strategies for private sector engagement in disaster risk reduction. He continues this commitment as a driving force behind Arise Philippines, spearheading collaborative projects with corporations to strengthen national disaster preparedness.
Simultaneously, Sy serves as co-convenor for the private sector in the NRC, a multi-sectoral group collaborating with the academe, civil society organizations, and local governments to enhance community resilience.
NRC’s Adopt-A-City program has been a model public-private partnership for local climate and disaster risk capacity building and training, especially among local government units.
Public and private sector representatives visit the National Resilience Council booth.
Underscoring its dedication to resilience, SM Prime hosted the Top Leaders Forum 2023 together with the Arise Philippines network.
Held on the International Day for Disaster Reduction, the event gathered top-caliber representatives from the UNDRR, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of National Defense, and other resilience groups.
This forum celebrated the announcement of Manila as the host city for the APMCDRR in 2024. It also was the venue of the Women International Network on Disaster Risk Reduction (WINDRR) Leadership awarding ceremony, where SM Prime proudly sponsored the Excellence Award for exceptional professional success in DRR.
The Philippine Resilience Awards for Women were also handed out by the Climate Change Commission, together with the Office of Senator Loren Legarda, WINDRR, SM Prime, Arise Philippines and NRC.
Partnerships take center stage at the launch of the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in October 2023.
In anticipation of the APMCDRR, Arise Philippines and the NRC, with support from SM Prime and DENR, are collaborating to showcase the Philippines’ commitment to disaster risk reduction.
Delegates will have the privilege to hear from Sy and the leaders of Arise and NRC at the APMCDRR, taking place on Oct. 14 to 18, 2024, at the Philippine International Convention Center.
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