Makati, Philippines – In a powerful demonstration of leadership and innovation, alumni from the first cohort of the Executive Master in Disaster Risk and Crisis Management (EMDRCM) at the Asian Institute of Management (AIM), also the founders of Resilient.PH, have launched the trailblazing Plastics for Resilience (PFR) Project. This initiative showcases the transformative impact of the Institute’s EMDRCM program and its graduates’ commitment to addressing urgent global challenges.
The PFR Project is more than just a national competition; it is an imperative call for action against plastic pollution and disaster vulnerability. As Tracy Ann Briggs, Adjunct Faculty at AIM, noted, “The only way we can combat [plastic pollution] is by working together through collaboration, sharing ideas, networking, and bringing all stakeholders together to come up with solutions.”
Professor Chad Briggs, Academic Program Director of EMDRCM, emphasized the program’s applied nature, “We do not want to just talk about resilience, we want to be resilient. Resilient.PH came out of that program. It came out of their studies, their ideas, to create new organizations, networks, and take actions.”
The PFR Project, as explained by Wally Panganiban, Co-Founder of Resilient.PH, “hope[s] to bring together plastics and resilience. It is a platform for innovation and collaboration.” The core of the PFR Project is an innovative hackathon, open to both students and professionals. The contest challenges teams of 3-5 members across industries to develop disaster management tools using plastic waste recovered from landfills. Potential items include spine boards, hard hats, evacuation tents, rescue boats, flood barriers, first aid kits, buoys, and crash guards. Teams can submit unlimited entries, with the goal of creating practical solutions that address both plastic pollution and disaster preparedness.
This movement is particularly crucial for the Philippines, which consistently ranks among the most at-risk countries in the World Risk Index for extreme weather vulnerability and is one of the largest contributors to marine plastic pollution globally. The PFR project serves as a powerful reminder that our choices today shape the world our children will inherit tomorrow.
Augustus Caesar Esmeralda, Co-Founder and Chief Resilience Officer at Resilient.PH, shared their vision, “We want to start our journey to bouncing forward together, not bouncing back together. Our purpose is to create resilient communities.”
The AIM community recognizes this and seeks to develop knowledge, skills, and the inspiration to make a difference. Let the ingenuity of our alumni motivate us all to take action, innovate for sustainability, and work towards a future where our planet remains a safe and nurturing home for all.
For more information about Resilient.PH and the Plastics for Resilience Project, visit resilient.ph.
To learn how you can lead global preparedness towards a better future, visit https://devatwork.aim.edu/executive-master-in-disaster-risk-and-crisis-management/ for the program details of the Executive Master in Disaster Risk and Crisis Management.
