On September 17, A-PAD Philippines hosted an international symposium in Manila. This symposium, which focused on emergency medicine, was held as part of the Japan Grant Assistance for Japanese NGO Projects in the Philippines.

The symposium was attended by partner organizations that A-PAD Philippines has collaborated with through its projects, including the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines, disaster medical practitioners from Japan and Indonesia, the Department of Health, the World Health Organization (WHO), and various universities and businesses.

Ambassador Endo of the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines delivered a greeting, stating, “I have been a supporter of A-PAD since my time as Director-General of the International Cooperation Bureau. The work of A-PAD Philippines in disaster prevention, medicine, and volunteer-based response across different regions, built upon steady partnerships, is truly remarkable and leverages Japan’s own experiences from major earthquakes.”

The panel discussion included disaster medical practitioners from Indonesia and Japan, as well as representatives from the Department of Health, the WHO, and the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF). They exchanged opinions from their respective positions and experiences, reaffirming the importance of training during non-emergency time, the allocation of resources like medical equipment and personnel, and the building of trust.

“From my experience with acute-phase activities at disaster sites in Turkey and Myanmar, the presence of a local partner directly relates to the precision of our operations” said Dr. Mototaka Inaba from Peace Winds Japan.

When asked by a facilitator about the differences between international and regional standards for medical care, Dr. Benedict Edward Valdez of the Southern Philippines Medical Center spoke with conviction: “While regional disparities in facilities and equipment certainly exist, at a disaster site, the paramount standards should be to save the patient and promote their early recovery. To achieve this, we must continually improve our skills, experience, knowledge, and networks.”

Dr. Airi Mutiar from Airlangga University in Indonesia expressed her gratitude, saying, “Disaster medicine is not something to be done alone; it requires collaboration with partners across different regions and fields. I am grateful to have been invited to this A-PAD symposium.”

Additionally, several experts and medical professionals commented, “Supporting medical care at a disaster site involves not just logistics, including the preparation of rescue boats and equipment, but also understanding and coordinating the capacity of hospitals to receive patients.”

The symposium provided a valuable opportunity to deepen knowledge of emergency medicine from various perspectives and to strengthen partnerships among people working diligently at disaster sites across borders and positions.