The Asian Crisis Management Conference was held in Bangkok.
Crisis management specialists from nine Asian cities got together to have active discussion meeting and participated in a welcome reception to which a Thai traditional dance performance added grace. It was an informative day with a great deal of meaningful information exchange and intercommunion among the participants.
After all this, in fact after nine o'clock at night, the interview with Mr. Ramon took place.
Mr. Ramon was smiling as usual when we met him at the Siam City Hotel Business Center.

Thank you very much for accepting this interview. You must be tired.

No, I'm not tired. I'm used to be sleeping late at night. Usually, I go to bed earliest 1 o'clock, and get up 6 o'clock.

Wow, that's intense!

Since I worked as an adviser of Chairman, the schedule is hectic!

"Everything is possible."
As an advisor to Chairman, he gives full attention to everything.

As a crisis management advisor, you must be very busy everyday. In what programs have you been involved recently?

I'm presently involved in disaster risk reduction and flood mitigation programs, and providing advice to the Chairman of MMDA.
And I'm presently supervising the enhancement of Disaster Operations Center of Metro Manila. Last Year, after my trip to the Han River Flood Control Center in Seoul, we established a simple facility in Metro Manila that has a similar function to what they have in South Korea.
The main challenge was how to do it in two weeks and at a very minimal cost to our agency.

Two weeks is very short, isn't it?

Chairman asked me how long it will take to establish. But I was conscious that he was in a hurry. So I asked him what particular component I should put in the facility.

What was his answer?

He said "I'll support whatever you need. But I need it next week!"
So, we inoculated it in 2 weeks!

That sounds impossible to me.

Everything is possible! (LOL)
Recently, I've been to conferences in Bangkok and Jakarta related with flood risk reduction and mitigation.
I had a chance to share what we are doing in Metro Manila related to flood risk reduction and I also learned from the other conference participants. Maybe, I would be able to introduce some measures that can be adopted here in Metro Manila to the Metro Manila Council within this month.

"All ANMC21 activities always bring good memories"
ANMC21 & Me

This is the third time I have met you. The first time was at the Crisis Management Conference in Soule in 2011. The second time was when you came to Tokyo to see the Comprehensive Disaster Management Drill in Tokyo also in 2011. You are also involved in many of the ANMC21 projects. Manila is the host city of the next year's Asian Crisis Management Conference, too. What do you think about the ANMC21 projects?

I think ANMC21 is a good venue for us to share and to learn what other cities do.
My attendance to all ANMC21 activities always brings good memories. I learn a lot from the member cities, and I always cherish the hospitality of the hosts. It is always nice to meet new people and create new friends who are willing to share knowledge to others.

Now I'm looking forward to the next Asian Crisis Management Conference that will be hosted by Metro Manila next year. I hope that I will be extensively involved in the preparation and contribute to how we can make it unique and make a lasting impression to the participants from ANMC21.

In Tokyo last year, you watched the Comprehensive Disaster Management Drill of Tokyo and participated in a workshop on efforts of Tokyo Fire Department at the time of the East Japan Great Earthquake.

I was impressed by last year's Comprehensive Disaster Management Drill in Tokyo and I hope we can match that activity.
Also I remember there was a device that we answer the question, how we can survive under the disaster.

You probably mean the active learning tour provided at the Tokyo Rinkai Disaster Prevention Park. It was a tour to learn through a game on how to survive 72 hours after a big earthquake.

That was interesting!
Whenever I visit Japan, I see how you try to sink the information of crisis management into the different people. I also could see a lot of Japanese people very interested in the disaster prevention.
In Japan, you have resources to spend to this kind of devises. But I think, in other countries, the cost is inhibited. So, we have to think about how to do similar thing with the same effect.

"As much as possible I read anything"
How he spends his free time

Many people saw you actively participating in discussions in the meetings and other occasions, not knowing what kind of person you are in your private life. May I take this opportunity to ask you what hobbies you have, and how you spend your days off?

My hobbies include watching documentary films or programs such as Discovery Channel and National Geographic. As much as possible, I read anything that I find interesting. Especially, those that relate with disaster risk reduction, climate change, clean technologies, and more recently books about dogs because MMDA is setting up a K-9 Unit (unit of search and rescue dogs). I don't have any particular favorite but I make it a point to read Popular Science, Popular Mechanics, Discovery Magazine and other related materials.

Most of them are directly related to your jobs, aren't they?

We sometimes have to do scientific approach. Then the solution you take would be more appropriate and more sophisticated.
You also have to have a balance. It's not always the case that you have always resources in your hand. Sometimes, you eventually have money, and at the same time, you have to look for the best solution. If you choose the wrong technology or wrong approach, it will be more costly.

You mean, you read a lot in order to make the best choices.

Yes, we have to choose the effective solution.
But I know hobbies should be something enjoyable. For example, dogs. Actually, I have dogs in my house. I enjoy dogs and animals and I find them good companion sometimes.
It is interesting to know about dogs and it would be helpful for the job, K-9 unit. But at the same time we can relax and keep our mind away from the job.

What else do you do during your days off, outside your home?

I always find it enjoyable to spend relaxing dinner with friends near the harbor. I usually take friends to a restaurant near the bay where they serve good local dishes.
Sometimes, although it is already outside the Metro Manila, I take friends to a restaurant at the hillside east of Metro Manila where we can have a good view of the metropolis at night.
The next favorite places that I hang out would be the hardware sections of malls. I find it relaxing just to take a look at tools and other interesting devices that a lot of people use in their everyday lives and how they have changed through the years.

"We should not get tired"
Message to readers

Lastly, many of the readers of the Interaction Asia are administrative officers who are facing several different problems in Asian cities, as well as Asian students learning in Tokyo who are expected to play active roles in Asian cities in future. Please give them your message.

Especially Asian major cities, there are a lot of development opportunities and economical challenges.
One thing I can tell you especially for crisis management is we should not get tired. This is the key. And just enjoy doing this.
Basically, when we look at the paper, it is better to see white space. I mean, white area is white. But if you focus the black point in the middle of the white paper, you look only black area. It is easy for us to become pessimistic and disappointed.
But just enjoy do it. Enjoy life. And do not get stress. If you have to find solution, enjoy finding solution.