Manila, Sept. 16 -- The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has pre-positioned disaster relief supplies in four member states to speed up mobilization of assistance when emergencies and disasters strike.

During a press briefing at the ASEAN Ministerial Conference on Disaster Resilience (AMCDR) in Pasay City on Tuesday, Office of Civil Defense Undersecretary Harold Cabreros said regional relief supplies have been pre-positioned in the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.

The stockpiles, established through the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management (AHA Centre), are intended to bring emergency resources closer to affected communities and enable member states to respond more quick...