ASEAN adopts Manila Declaration to boost disaster preparedness

Members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have agreed to strengthen disaster preparedness by moving faster on prevention and anticipatory action, as they formally adopted the Manila Declaration at the closing of the two-day ASEAN Ministerial Conference on Disaster Resilience (AMCDR) 2026 in Pasay City on Wednesday.

In his closing speech, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., chair of the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Disaster Management, said the declaration would guide regional cooperation on disaster resilience through 2030 and beyond.

“As the 2026 ASEAN Ministerial Conference on Disaster Resilience comes to a close, it is my honor, in my capacity as Chair of the Ministerial Meeting, to announce that we have formally adopted the Manila Declaration,” Teodoro said.

He said the declaration sets three areas for action, namely, accelerating the implementation of the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER) Work Program 2026-2030; strengthening ASEAN accountability, monitoring and learning for disaster resilience; and shaping ASEAN's disaster resilience agenda towards 2030 and beyond.

Teodoro said the declaration would not be a fixed document, allowing ASEAN to adjust its approach as disasters and risks change.

“And we have agreed that this shall be a living document that shall provide for flexibility, agility, cooperation, to meet disasters more effectively as they come and as we learn,” he added

The declaration, Teodoro said, is slated for notation by ASEAN leaders at the 49th ASEAN Summit in November, subject to the concurrence of all member states.

As the ASEAN region is one of the world's most disaster-prone areas, a major focus of the conference was the need to act before disasters strike, rather than relying mainly on response after a disaster has occurred.

Indonesia's Deputy Minister for Prevention of the National Disaster Management Authority, Abdul Muhari, said early warning systems would have little value if warnings were not connected to decisions and resources needed to act.

“Warning alone is not enough. We must connect this knowledge to forecast shared trigger, decision authority, pre-arranged financing, and local capacity, so that early warning consistently becomes early action,” Muhari said.

“This requires end-to-end people-centered early warning systems supported by science, technology, geospatial information, risk analysis, AI, and interoperable data,” he stressed,

He added that local knowledge and trusted communication networks should also be part of the system, as information is useful only when it reaches decision-makers and communities in time.

Muhari also emphasized the role of communities in disaster management, saying they should not be treated simply as recipients of assistance, but are first responders and essential partners as well.

Deputy Secretary-General for the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community San Lwin said the discussions reflected a changing regional risk landscape shaped by climate change, rapid urbanization, environmental degradation, technological disruptions and socioeconomic vulnerabilities.

He said the conference produced recommendations on early warning systems, anticipatory action, disaster risk financing, recovery readiness and stronger cooperation among governments, communities, the private sector, academe and other stakeholders.

As the conference also marked the 10th anniversary of the “One ASEAN, One Response Declaration,” San Lwin underscored regional solidarity and collective action in disaster management.

He said anticipatory action could further strengthen the mechanism by allowing ASEAN countries to prepare and act together before disasters occur.

The conference also welcomed the Manila Declaration on advancing ASEAN's disaster resilience agenda toward 2030 and beyond, as well as the proposed ASEAN Leaders' Statements on the Resilient, Innovative, Sustainable and Empowered (RISE) ASEAN Vision.

San Lwin said the documents would provide strategic direction for the region's disaster resilience efforts beyond 2030, but he stressed that the real test would come after the conference.

“The success of this conference will be measured not only by the qualities of our discussions and the outcomes that we have adopted, but by how effectively we translate our shared commitments into concrete actions,” he said.

Meanwhile, Teodoro also called for sustained cooperation among ASEAN member states and their partners, particularly in risk financing and technology, noting that “disasters cut across sectors, scales, and borders”.

He also cited President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s message that regional disaster frameworks must ultimately benefit communities and protect people's lives.

“Our task is to ensure that our frameworks make a difference where they matter most, in our communities, our economies, and above all, in the lives of our people,” Teodoro said, quoting President Marcos.