Ambassador Endo Kazuya attended the recent Asia Pacific Alliance for Disaster Management (A-PAD) Philippines International Symposium 2025 held in Parañaque City.
The symposium culminated A-PAD’s three-year initiative on emergency preparedness, volunteer engagement, and EMS capacity development, supported by the Government of Japan under the Grant Assistance for Japanese NGO Projects.
Under the theme “Resilience in Practice: EMS Collaboration and Multi-Sector Approach,” the event brought together representatives from various Philippine institutions and international partners. It highlighted collaborative initiatives, encouraged knowledge exchange, and strengthened cross-sector and cross-border partnerships.
In his remarks, Ambassador Endo underscored the critical importance of services, such as medical systems, to remain reliable lifelines during crises.
Highlighting the value of A-PAD, he said, “Just as calamities know no boundaries, so too must our capabilities to address them. With cross-border platforms such as A-PAD, disaster management can be a more effective equalizer in facing risks.”
Established in October 2012, A-PAD aims to build a comprehensive disaster prevention system in the Asia-Pacific region. The system fosters collaboration among the government, private sector, and non-government organizations (NGOs) from participating countries to carry out rapid and effective emergency humanitarian relief activities, enabling them to act as one. The alliance is comprised of organizations from six countries: Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh.
