Some 90 paper abstracts and 18 posters on disaster risk management and resilience were presented at the 20th Association of Pacific Rim Universities Multi-Hazards Symposium and Conference 2025 (APRU MH20), held from Nov. 26 to 29 at UP Bonifacio Global City (UPBGC), Taguig.
According to its website, APRU is “a network of leading universities linking the Americas, Asia, and Australasia, APRU (the Association of Pacific Rim Universities) that brings together thought leaders, researchers, and policy-makers to exchange ideas and collaborate on practical solutions to the challenges of the 21st century.”
Convened by the UP Diliman (UPD) College of Architecture (CA) and the UPD College of Engineering, APRU MH20 brought together experts, scholars, and practitioners from all over the world to share insights and strategies on disaster risk reduction and resilience across the Pacific Rim.
The Pacific Rim, or the region bordering the Pacific Ocean, is also home to the Pacific Ring of Fire, a network of volcanoes and other areas of frequent seismic activity.
Following the theme Resilience: Reviews and Projections: Multi-Hazard Entanglements of Society, Environment, and Technology in Space, Time, and Place, CA Dean Luis Maria T. Bo-ot emphasized the importance of communication in disaster risk management.
“To a great extent, communication is the key into any effective system management. And response to hazards and disaster is of no exception. APRU-MH20 is one forum where communication will be initiated, facilitated, collaborated, and disseminated,” he said.
Keynote speakers for the conference were Jeffrey Hou, PhD from the National University of Singapore; Dominic Ligot from the Philippine Artificial Intelligence Business Association; Beatrice Tulagan from the Tala Storytelling Collective; and Alfredo Coro II, former Siargao municipal mayor.
Alongside APRU was the third exhibition of CAREscape The Exhibit: Climate-Adaptive Reimaginings for Enhancing Healthcare Spaces of the Future (CAREscape), featuring the speculative artworks of 14 architects, designers, and artists that “highlight the urgent need for inclusive and resilient healthcare spaces in climate-vulnerable contexts.”
