A meeting hosted by the Central Visayas Regional Partner, one of A-PAD Philippines’ regional platforms, was held on January 28, 2025, at the Quest Hotel and Conference Center in Cebu City.

The meeting, aiming to strengthen the resilience of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and promote partnerships between companies, was attended by 25 representatives from 12 organizations across various sectors. Organizations active both inside and outside of Central Visayas gathered to discuss how they could cooperate to enhance their disaster prevention and response capabilities.

An overview of the SME Resilience Strengthening Program (MRP) being developed by A-PAD and others was introduced. A-PAD Philippines’ Athea Penaloza emphasized the important role played by SMEs in emergency response and recovery and reconstruction during disasters.

At the end of the meeting, 10 of the participating organizations signed a cooperation agreement. Local governments, businesses, non-profit organizations, and others pledged to cooperate across their respective positions in emergency support, recovery and reconstruction, and disaster risk reduction initiatives.