League: Development plans must include disaster management

CEBU, Philippines – The League of Local Planning and Development Coordinators in Cebu is pushing for the mainstreaming of climate and disaster risk management to development planning in cities and municipalities.

Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) 7 Director Pedro Noval has authorized the league to conduct the training to be participated in by city and municipal planning officers.

Also enjoined to attend are other counterparts of each local government unit like social welfare officer, engineer, police, local sanggunian chairman on committee on health and environment and the civil defense deputized coordinators.

Alegria Municipal Planning and Development Coordinator Jesus Rey Cavalida, the league president in Cebu, said that they set the training on "Mainstreaming Climate and Disaster Risk Management to Development Planning" on October 13-15 at Golden Valley Hotel in Cebu City.

"Our aim is to build resilient communities, increase capacities, decrease vulnerabilities by adopting Climate Smart Disaster Risk Management to Development," Cavalida said.

The Philippines is regularly confronted with various hazards and disasters related to climate changes.

"The mandate of the development planners is to ensure that all investments to development are protected, thus critical planning is necessity," said Cavalida.

He hopes to share the outputs of the training to the rest of the region.

To facilitate the training are the Plan Country program Advisor on Climate and Disaster Risk Management, National Economic Development Authority and the Office of Civil Defense. (FREEMAN)