MANILA, Philippines – “Our country is convinced that this new ‘world superpower’ must be stopped. Will the ASEAN community support us in this decision?”

Rehabilitation Secretary Panfilo Lacson warned diplomats from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Thursday, August 14, against this “mighty power sinister in purpose” – not China, he said, but disasters like Super Typhoon Yolanda (international name: Haiyan). 

Citing the ASEAN charter that calls for effective response against “all forms of threats,” Lacson said, “With greater reason should we, ASEAN neighbors, stay together and be united in all resources because, if we are to confront this menace of a superpower individually and on our own, we will each be easily overwhelmed.”

Lacson spoke at the ASEAN High-Level Conference on Assistance for the Recovery of Yolanda-affected Areas (ARYA), which “aims to drum up support” for the Philippine government’s rehabilitation efforts for Yolanda-affected areas, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

ASEAN Secretary-General Le Luong Minh, Philippine Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario, and Lacson convened the event.

The conference came after the Philippine government completed its P170.7-billion ($3.93-billion) Yolanda master rehabilitation plan on August 1. (READ: Philippines finalizes P171-B Yolanda rehab plan)

China notes ‘fulfilled’ commitments

In his speech to open the conference, Lacson explained that support from other countries “is key” to “take on big and powerful calamities such as Haiyan, or any other similar superpower, predictable or otherwise, that comes our way.”

To help in rebuilding after Yolanda, the DFA said one initiative from the ASEAN is the Adopt-a-Municipality Project, which aims to hone technical skills in Yolanda-hit areas and train local governments for disasters.

Noting its contributions, too, was the ASEAN’s dialogue partner, China – the rising superpower that the Philippines brought to court in a historic case over the South China Sea.

While embroiled in a maritime dispute with the Philippines, China on Thursday noted that it has joined international efforts to help Yolanda survivors.

China sent to Yolanda-hit Leyte, for example, a 300-bed floating navy medical facility called the Peace Ark on November 24, 2013. It helped Chinese medical teams treat up to 6,000 patients in Yolanda-hit areas, the Chinese embassy said.

Through the Peace Ark, China’s Navy became the Yolanda-hit areas’ “largest donor from China.”

China also said it donated up to $100,000 in cash, tents and blankets, 800 metric tons of rice, and 540 units of prefabricated houses, among other things.

“To sum up, all commitments made by China to the Filipino people, especially those in Yolanda-affected areas, have been fulfilled…. China will, as always, work together with the international community to find more ways to help the surviving victims to restore a normal life as early as possible,” the Chinese embassy added.

The Philippines urges more countries to support Yolanda rehabilitation efforts as the rehabilitation plan entails, among other things, relocating 940,000 survivors in unsafe zones. – Rappler.com