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Friday, January 07, 2005
Arroyo urges review of tsunami warning system
MANILA -- President Arroyo on Thursday proposed the review of the reliability of the early warning system in the Pacific Ocean following the onslaught of the tsunami in several countries around the Indian Ocean.
Arroyo, during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) leaders' meeting on the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami at the Jakarta Convention Center in Indonesia, said aside from the sharing of information, the system must also be able to forewarn the people who will be affected by tsunamis and similar disasters on time.
Arroyo also expressed support and endorsed a proposal of Thailand to put up a regional warning system center "within the Asian Disaster Center in Thailand" to further improve the collective preparedness and awareness programs among Asian countries in dealing with similar disasters.
"At moments like these, we are truly God's children, joined by common humanity, bound by common purpose. Like the seas themselves, we rise and fall together and we shall prevail," she added.
More than the financial aid extended to affected countries, Arroyo said she hopes the summit would be instrumental in forging cooperation and coordination among the nations in the region.
Arroyo headed a small delegation that left for Indonesia Wednesday afternoon. Her group included Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief Efren Abu, Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology Director Renato Solidum Jr., Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz Jr., Presidential Assistant on Foreign Affairs Linglingay Lacanlale, Presidential spokesman Ignacio Bunye, Health Undersecretary Ma. Margarita Galon and Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo.
She is expected to return to Manila around midnight Friday after meeting with the Filipino community in Indonesia Thursday night.
She would lead the National Day of Prayer and Mourning for tsunami victims on Friday.
Arroyo said the Philippines is supportive and willing to assist in any way it can to alleviate the sufferings of "fellow friends and neighbors in Asia", particularly those who were also there for the Philippines when it was hit by a series of storms from late November to early December.
She said the Philippines would aid in the rebuilding of infrastructure and physical facilities and helping victims recover from the trauma of losing a parent, children, spouse or sibling.
Included in the assistance the country would help provide is psychological healing and restoring means of livelihood and protecting those orphaned from exploitation.
The Philippines initially sent forensic experts to Thailand to help identify the recovered bodies and a medical team to Sri Lanka to help attend to the wounded. Another medical team is set to leave for Banda Aceh, Indonesia.
"We have many more health and engineering professionals volunteering to go where they are needed. The Philippines is blessed with abundant human resources and our professionals, including those in the fields of health care and engineering, are truly world-class," Arroyo said.
"More than our cash donations, our talented Filipino professionals have volunteered to make themselves available to assist in both relief efforts as well as the important long-term rebuilding efforts," she added.
Arroyo, before returning to Manila, thanked and acknowledged the Filipino community including the Filipino-Indonesian Business Council for organizing its own relief efforts for victims.
She also thanked Filipino workers for their remittances, which have helped "in keeping our domestic economy from sliding down, your continuous remittances serve well to keep our economy afloat and growing more than expected."
She asked them to continue supporting her administration to effect change including the defeat of corruption, the addressing of high unemployment and an economic turnaround. (JMR)
(January 7, 2005 issue)
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