Aspi said it was clear the country had learned from the experience of Typhoon Haiyan.“There have been some great strides in disaster risk reduction since Haiyan, both from the government and from the NGOs. This is especially the case on the advocacy side – the children’s emergency relief and protection act was passed this year and gives greater focus on the protection of children who are very vulnerable during times like these,” he said.The Philippines government is reviewing its disaster risk reduction law to incorporate more recommendations made following Haiyan and other typhoons.“The real focus has been making sure communities are at the heart of this preparedness, that’s the only way it can be successful,” added Aspi. “So communities, including children, have been mapping out their areas and pointing out where is a safe place to go and where is not safe. And of course, there is always room for improvement on this, particularly in making sure plans are inclusive and include the knowledge of women as well as the elderly. But we’re definitely making strides.”
Source: Philippines praised by UN for learning the hard lessons of Typhoon Haiyan and upgrading their disaster response efforts | South China Morning Post
