Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF) board members and top corporate executives met on Dec. 16, 2025 to strengthen private sector involvement in disaster response following a series of devastating typhoons and earthquakes.
Ayala Corp. chairman Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, Metro Pacific Investment Corp. chairman Manuel Pangilinan and Aboitiz Group of Companies chief executive Sabin Aboitiz led the annual board meeting to review the impact of recent natural disasters and coordinate ongoing recovery initiatives.
The foundation has mobilized more than P20.7 million in assistance to support 20,000 affected families across the archipelago.
The funding was sourced through PDRF member companies, international nonprofit partners and overseas Filipino organizations including the Philippine Humanitarian Coalition and the National Federation of Filipino American Associations.
Individual donors such as TLC Beatrice head Loida Lewis and US Education Finance leader Henry Howard also contributed through international fundraising efforts.
Response teams were deployed to provide immediate aid to regions hit by a succession of storms and seismic events.
Impacted areas included La Union, Masbate, Cebu and Davao, as well as Aurora and Catanduanes, which were most recently struck by Super Typhoon Uwan.
The PDRF said it is now transitioning its focus from immediate relief to long-term recovery, prioritizing the rehabilitation of schools and health centers alongside the provision of temporary shelters and repair kits for displaced residents.
National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council liaison and former Environment Secretary Toni Yulo-Loyzaga attended the meeting to align private sector strategies with government programs.
She was joined by PDRF board member and former Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson, who provided insights on flood mitigation and infrastructure preparedness. The discussion cited the need for private sector investment in emergency communications, early warning systems and water resilience.
Board members also reviewed enhancements to the PDRF Emergency Operations Center, which aims to expand the scale of its disaster preparedness capabilities.
PDRF chairman Cardinal Tagle issued a statement calling for a comprehensive approach to disaster management. Tagle noted that no single sector or country holds a monopoly on data or solutions and urged for a collaborative effort involving scientists, businesses, faith groups and the poor to address the global increase in disaster frequency.
