RESPONSE TO BIOLOGICAL INCIDENTS. Participants of the Asean Regional Forum Tabletop Exercise discuss their roles and responses during a biological incident on Monday (June 13, 2022). The event is hosted by the Department of Foreign Affairs in Pasay City. (PNA photo by Joyce Rocamora) MANILA - The Philippine government is hosting the Asean Regional Forum (ARF) exercise on responding to chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) events, with a special focus on biological incidents. "It has been predicted that the world's next big challenges will not come from traditional security issues among states. It cannot be better illustrated than by the Covid-19 pandemic that brought the whole world to a screeching halt," Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Daniel Espiritu said in a joint presser on Monday. "This exercise highlights one of the key takeaways from the harrowing experience of Covid that we all must be prepared for the occurrence of a public health emer