MANILA - The largest business groups in the Philippines on Monday urged the public and private sectors to cooperate and address environmental concerns after a series of typhoons caused massive devastation in the country, with recovery potentially taking months.

"We call on the whole country to address the environment and climate change which have accelerated the frequency of disasters, including destructive earthquakes, devastating typhoons, massive floods, catastrophic volcanic eruptions, and ravaging landslides," the Philippine Business Groups (PBG) said in a shared statement.

The PBG is a collective organization of 19 major business groups in the country including MAP, FINEX, BAP, AmCham, ECCP, IBPAP, and SEIPI.

"We encourage our member-companies to continue and enhance their ongoing disaster relief operations, and at the same time urge our local government units (LGUs) to fully support these private sector initiatives bereft of any political agenda and opportunism," it said.

It said better partnerships should support LGUs to become less vulnerable, with extensive preventive measures to disasters.

The typhoons Rolly and Ulysses ravaged areas in the country only a week apart. Rolly was a super typhoon while Ulysses was rain-heavy like Typhoon Ondoy which drowned communities in Luzon.

The PBG said recent disasters appeared to be intensifying in area scope and magnitude, causing massive damages and untimely deaths.

The business groups said relief cooperation for typhoon victims is in line with the recently signed Covenant for Shared Prosperity, which solidifies their shared commitment to national development.

"Let us all continue doing our share in helping our disaster-stricken countrymen rise above their unfortunate situation," the PBG said.

Source: ABS-CBN News