Loren lauds Cebu town on disaster planning

MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Loren Legarda yesterday lauded the local government of San Francisco town in Camotes Islands, Cebu, for sharing with visiting mayors from Sri Lanka their disaster prevention measures.

San Francisco hosted a three-day study visit of four mayors from Sri Lanka from Aug. 25 to 27, in light of the World Disaster Reduction Campaign: “Making Cities Resilient: My City is Getting Ready!” of the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR).

The four Sri Lankan mayors are from the cities of Balangoda, Tangalle, Puttalam and Mannar, which are prone to landslides, floods and cyclones.

“The challenge before local leaders are clear: Communities should be safer, more resilient, and even more ready to act when disaster strikes. I commend the municipality of San Francisco for taking the lead, sharing solutions and hosting the first peer learning event in Asia to reduce disaster risks,” said Legarda, the UNISDR Regional Champion for Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation for Asia-Pacific.

Legarda said San Francisco’s purok system, solid waste management and marine conservation initiatives are worth emulating even by foreign local governments, which face similar challenges and opportunities in pursuing disaster-resilient local development.

“Local leaders must be fully aware that their pledge to the campaign also means committing to increasing investments in disaster risk reduction, conducting and sharing risk assessments, establishing effective and efficient early warning systems, and protecting your ecosystems, among other essential actions,” she said.