Top Leaders Forum 2019 focuses on transforming disaster landscape from risk to resiliency

Top-level executives from both the private and public sectors will come together for the 2019 Top Leaders Forum to find concrete measures that would make businesses more resilient against disasters. The event will be held at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City, Philippines on November 12.

Organized by SM Prime Holdings, in partnership with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), ARISE Philippines and the National Resilience Council (NRC), this year's Top Leaders Forum will also highlight the following: 1) Private sector engagement with the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to ensure the same level of preparedness for disasters; 2) NRC’s Adopt-A-City program to engage the private sector in a more innovative and strategic partnership for resilient local government systems; and 3) The launch of the Young Leaders for Resilience Program to engage the youth in co-creating solutions that will address the resilience challenges of NRC’s partner local government units.

Now on its 8th year, the 2019 Top Leaders Forum’s theme is “From Risk to Resilience: Forging Pathways and Milestones.” Ms. Mami Mizutori, UN Special Representative to the Secretary General (SRSG) will deliver the keynote address while Mr. Hans T. Sy of ARISE International Board and Secretary Delfin Lorenzana of Department of National Defense both co-chairs of NRC will deliver the Welcome and Opening Messages, respectively.
CEOs and Top Executives of Private Sectors will showcase their companies DRR initiatives
while Local Chief Executives of NRC’s partner LGUs will present their progress in integrating
risk management considerations into their resilience platforms across the provincial city and barangay levels, in collaboration with the private sector and the academe/scientific community.

Some of the speakers are USEC Ricardo B. Jalad of the Office of Civil Defense,
Congresswoman Lucy Gomez, Bataan Governor Albert S. Garcia, Cagayan De Oro City Mayor Oscar S. Moreno, Naga City Mayor Nelson Legacion, Zamboanga City Mayor Maria Isabelle
Climaco and Ormoc City Mayor Richard Gomez, Unilever Philippines Chairman Benjie Yap,
Maynilad Water Services CEO Ramoncito Fernandez, IBM Philippines President and Country
General Manager Aileen Judan-Jiao, San Miguel Properties Inc. Project Lead Cecile Ang,
Jollibee Group Foundation Executive Director Gisela Tiongson, Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. First VP and COO Maribeth Marasigan, and Fr. Jet Villarin, Ateneo de Manila President.

For the 1st time, youth involvement in DRR is highlighted with the Young Leaders for Resilience Program wherein students from various universities in each LGU underwent a Design Thinking Workshop led by IBM Philippines and co-facilitated by the Asia Pacific College (APC) and National University, together with focal persons from NRC’s LGUs and academic partners. Eight (8) entries from the LGUs will compete for the top prize during the TLF on finding potential solutions on climate and disaster risk profiles of their own cities / province.

ARISE Philippines is a network of businesses committed to create risk-resilient societies
through the distinct approach of private-public partnerships. The NRC is a science and
technology-based public and private partnership that supports government, communities,
academe and the private sector in advancing the intersections among the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Paris Climate  Agreement and the New Urban Agenda.
For more information, visit www.smsupermalls.com or the National Resilience Council website, https://resiliencecouncil.ph/.