Disaster preparedness summit this Friday

CEBU, Philippines - Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jesse Robredo will lead the second Tapatan Roadshow, this time on Disaster Preparedness and Climate Change, with around 600 local chief executives from the different municipalities, cities, and provinces in Central Visayas are expected to attend the event.

DILG 7 Regional Director Ananias Villacorta yesterday said the roadshow gathers the country’s governors, city and town mayors, provincial and municipal disaster and risk reduction management officers, and civil society leaders especially those engaged in disaster response. 

The local chief executives will gather on Friday at the Cebu International Convention Center.

In yesterday’s Kapihan sa PIA forum, Villacorta said the activity is also in line with RA 10121 or the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010 and RA 9729, otherwise known as the Climate Change Adaptation Act of 2009. 

Apart from the local chief executives, targeted participants include representatives from the DRRM-CCA partner regional line agencies, civil society organizations, private companies engaged in disaster-related corporate social responsibility projects, leaders of communities at risks, media, and the agencies under the DILG 7. 

Assistant DILG Regional Director Elias Fernandez also said the summit aims to advocate and institutionalize disaster preparedness and climate change mitigation among local government units especially that the country is vulnerable to various natural disasters and calamities.

Fernandez said they need to push disaster preparedness among LGUs in view of the calamities that struck in 2011, which showed inadequacy or lack of disaster-readiness. There was the flashfloods in Cagayan de Oro and the earthquakes in Central Visayas that served as wake up calls.

“We want to develop a culture of preparedness among LGUs and the public so that the country would be able to respond more effectively and mitigate the adverse impacts of every disaster that hits the country,” Fernandez said.

The highlight of the upcoming summit would be the signing of the Pledge of Commitment by the participants for disaster preparedness to manifest their firm resolve to put in place their local disaster risk reduction and management and climate change adaptation plans. 

The Philippines has been ranked as the third among countries worldwide that are most at risk to disasters in 2011, according to the United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security study. – Garry B. Lao/JPM (THE FREEMAN)