ARMM provinces vulnerable to disasters

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines  - The island provinces of  the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) remain vulnerable to major natural disasters and calamities, a fact that should prompt leaders to train and learn to  to adopt mitigating measures to save lives, a disaster official warned Wednesday.

The warning was issued by Philippine Volcanology and Seismology (Philvolcs) director Renato Solidum at the two-day disaster preparedness program launched by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) of ARMM. Officials of local government units in Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi (BASULTA) attended the event.

Citing historical events, Solidum said a major disaster could hit this part of the country.

“Earthquakes that create volcanic eruption and tsunami in Sulu islands… these events can happen again in the future so we have to be prepared for these,” Solidum said.

He said there are faults in the  mainland of Mindanao specifically in the provinces of Lanao and Maguindanao, and off shore faults in the Sulu trench and Cotabato trench.

Solidum said the Sulu trench could generate an earthquake, putting the BASULTA  provinces at high  risk.

He said that on September 21, 1897, the trench moved, causing a magnitude 7.5 earthquake that triggered a six-meter high tsunami that hit Zamboanga City, Isabela City, in Basilan ; and a one-meter tidal wave in Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.

“We can not predict it,  only God knows," Solidum told newsmen at the sidelines of the conference here.

However, the disaster official said destruction of lives and properties could be minimized if residents are prepared.

Solidum added that LGUs and residents must be prepared for these scenarios.

“The most important part though for every warning is early action which is the biggest role of the local government. No matter what we do in the DOST,  whether we improve our monitoring or we provide a lot of information, the important thing is that actions are done as a result of this warning information and this should be done by the local government,” Solidum added.

It was observed that preparedness of the local government units in ARMM areas was limited to response to calamities or disasters.

“The problem is, the LGUs are not that proactive, they are still thinking they have no budget,”said Myra Alih, DOST-ARMM Secretary.

Alih said the DILG has been reminding the local government units that they can use the five-percent calamity fund to strengthen their disaster team through preparation and impose mitigating measures rather than waiting for the calamity to strike and respond.

“Why spend a lot of money for rescue when mitigation and preparedness should come first? This is what the LGUs should think about and strengthen. It is not spending canned sardines and noodles to feed during relief operations. They should spend the big chunk of their calamity fund in preparedness and mitigation,” she added.

Alih said that after the disaster conference, they are expecting LGUs to change their way of thinking and be conscious of disaster preparedness.

According to Alih, at the ARMM regional level they have adopted the preparedness through its ARMM-HEART – Humanitarian Emergency Action Response Team (HEART), which is the counterpart of the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC).

Alih said the ARMM-HEART is an upgraded version of the NDRRMC since with the former involving the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) as some crises entail human rights issues.

Alih said the ARMM-HEART bolstered its training when it was the first LGU to respond during the typhoon Yolanda in Tacloban ahead of other non-government organizations.

Solidum  meanwhile lauded the ARMM as the first region to establish 40 hydro meteorological hazard apparatus in almost its areas as part of its preparedness. - Roel Pareño