Regional Advisor on Disaster Risk Reduction

Missions

Please refer to this page for a list of Regional Advisory Missions.

Credentials

• Doctor in Public Administration (with research in disaster preparedness), University of the Philippines, Philippines 1998
• Master of Social Work, University of the Philippines, Philippines, 1995
• Bachelor of Social Work, Bandung School of Social Work, Indonesia, 1984

Experience

ESCAP REGIONAL ADVISER on DISASTER RISK REDUCTION

Bangkok-Thailand, 2014 - 2016

Deliver a wide range on-demand policy and technical supports on disaster risk reduction to governments of the developing countries, particularly the high risk, low capacity countries. This includes support and advice on DRR policies, strategies and programmes alignment with the Sendai Framework, strengthening institutional capacities integrating DRR into developmental and sectoral planning, and facilitation of dialogue and collaboration with other member States and relevant regional and subregional institutions through regional and South-South cooperation on Disaster Risk Reduction.

ESCAP CHIEF DISASTER RISK REDUCTION SECTION

Bangkok-Thailand, 2013 – 2014

Lead the ESCAP's DRR vision, strategy and work plan in support of the UN ' overall socio-economic strategic objectives in Asia and the Pacific; identify emerging regional challenges, lead the analysis, and development of options of strategies, coordinate policy development, and coordination with key regional partners and UN agencies develop regional cooperative modalities and strategic relationships.

PROJECT MANAGER, UNDP COMPREHENSIVE DISASTER MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME

Dhaka-Bangladesh, 2010 – 2013

Manage the Comprehensive Disaster Management Programme (CDMP), a USD 78 Million development investment programme under the leadership of Government to further reduce the country’s vulnerability to natural and anthropogenic hazards and the devastating impacts of climate change through institutionalization of DRR approaches across key ministries and agencies and local governments.  

UNDP EARLY RECOVERY ADVISER

Geneva-Switzerland, 2007 -2010

Design, plan, and lead the UNDP works in early recovery assessment and planning after major disaster and conflict-induced critical events; the development of the Post Disaster Needs Assessment methodology in coordination with the World Bank and the European Commission as well as the Global Cluster Working Group on Early Recovery in the Needs Assessment Task Force of the Inter- Agency Standing Committee.

UNDP POLICY AND LEGISLATIVE ADVISER TO THE PARLIAMENT

Jakarta- Indonesia, 2007

Lead an expert team providing the substantive inputs and guidance to the Joint Special Committee on Disaster Management Law of the House of Representative and three Ministries of the Executive Branch of the Government of Indonesia leading to the formulation and the enactment of the Disaster Management Law.

UN-OCHA HEAD OF REGIONAL OFFICE

Kobe- Indonesia, 2006

Manage the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in the East and Southeast Asia sub-region based in Kobe – Japan to develop the regional humanitarian preparedness response capacities including the governments' coordination with the UN organizations, civil military and NGOs coordination

ASEAN EXPERT ON DISASTER MANAGEMENT

Jakarta- Indonesia, 2002 – 2005

Provide the technical expertise in the establishment of the ASEAN disaster management portfolio including the establishment of the Committee on Disaster Management, the ASEAN Regional Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response and the associated regional programme.

UNHCR REGIONAL EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS ADVISER

Jakarta - Indonesia, 2000 – 2001

Develop regional collaboration framework for emergency preparedness of UNHCR, national governments, and NGOs in Southeast Asian Region. This include the development and implementation of cross-border humanitarian emergency contingency planning for regional conflict hot-spots and natural disasters.

UNHCR EMERGENCY SOCIAL WELFARE OFFICER

Kupang - Indonesia, 1999 - 2000

Manage the provision of social services to 250,000 East Timorese refugee through coordinated efforts with the Indonesian authorities, the UN Transitional Administration in East Timor, the refugee communities, and members of the civil society

COMMUNITY AND FAMILY SERVICES INTERNATIONAL, SOCIAL SERVICE MANAGER

Hong Kong – China, 1989 – 1994

Member of a three-person management team operating with more than 50 international social workers and 300 para-professional providing social services to advocate for systematic and planned improvement of treatment from prison-like management of asylum seekers and detainees into the more humane community environment. In a tripartite collaboration with Swedish Save the Children (Radda Barnen) and the Government of Socialist Republic of Vietnam, building the capacity of five people’s organization and NGOs into child welfare-oriented organizations through training, organizational development, and Regional exposure.

UNHCR RESETTLEMENT ASSISTANT

Tanjung Pinang - Indonesia, 1986 -1989

Serve as an officer-in-charge of UNHCR rescue ship for the Indochinese boat people at the South China Sea. Manage asylum seekers reception Camp at the shores. Create, maintain, and monitor camp-wide community-based care and maintenance of refugee vulnerable groups and advocating their finding durable solutions in resettlement countries. Support the management, protection and resettlement of vulnerable groups among up to 40,000 Indochinese refugees.

INDONESIAN RED CROSS SOCIETY, SOCIAL WELFARE COUNSELOR

Tanjung Pinang - Indonesia, 1985 -1986

Develop the community-based social services for some 20,000 Vietnamese refugees by recruiting, training, and supervise refugee volunteers. Manage counselling services of the Social Welfare Office through referral network particularly for vulnerable refugees. Provide the advocacy and assistance for the resettlement of the refugee vulnerable groups.

Samples of Regional Advisory

Country services

1. Post TC Winston recovery in Fiji

• Development of post TC Winston recovery framework and a draft of the draft of the relatedimplementing regulations
• Draft manual guide on the National Cluster System
• Contribution to the post TC Winston post disaster needs assessment
• Regional advocacy in ESCAP and globally at the World Humanitarian Summit
• Revision of the national disaster management legislation and disaster management plan in Fiji (forthcoming)

2. Bhutan

• Revision and finalization of the National Disaster Management Strategic Plan
• Framework for the development of the national earthquake preparedness, and earthquake contingency plan for Thimphu Municipality

3. Indonesia

• Medium-term roadmap for the calibration of the national disaster management system to Sendai Framework alignment
• Disaster management legislative review and revision
• Mid-term strategic plan for the management of forest fire and haze

4. The Philippines: National technical guides and the roll out of

• post disaster needs assessment
• integrated contingency planning
• pre-disaster risk assessment

Regional cooperation

1. Global and regional level

• ASEAN joint strategic plan for action on disaster management
• High Level Committee on Programme on resilience for sustainable development
• Technical support to ESCAP Sustainable Business Network Task Force on DRR

2. At the convening countries

• Pakistan: Substantive inputs to the Heart of Asia/Istanbul Process technical working group on disaster management
• Kyrgyzstan: Framework for regional cooperation in disaster risk reduction in Central Asia
• Bangladesh: Regional dialogues on the role of private sector in DRR
• Nepal: Regional dialogues on the role of private sector in DRR (forthcoming)

Contribution to the implementation of the ESCAP’s DRR programme

• Module and training on DRR mainstreaming at sub-national level: Indonesia, Cambodia, Bhutan, Fiji (forthcoming)
• Expert group on the development of disaster related statistics in Asia Pacific region
• Coordination of the Division’s activities and services in the Pacific
• Substantive inputs to the policy analysis
  • Asia Pacific Disaster Report
  • Resilient Business for Resilient Nations and Communities