by Gideon C. Corgue
PAGADIAN CITY, January 6 (PIA) – In its desire to protect its people from calamities that are now happening in the country especially in Mindanao, the Sangguniang Panlungsod thru the committee on public saftey vice-chairperson Bienvenido Culve on Tuesday has passed a resolution urging Mayor Samuel Co to reactivate the city disaster risk reduction and management council (CDRRMC).
In its regular session at the Sangguniang Panlungsod session hall, the resolution said with the recent tragic flooding in the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan which caused loss of lives and properties, there is an urgent need for us to prepare for any eventuality should natural disaster strikes.
Culve said if Co will reactivate the CDRRMC, the barangay risk reduction and management council (BDRRMC) will be activated also in their respective barangays.
Culve said the city government has initiated the move saying that with the fortuitous event that took place the cities of CDO and Iligan, there were some people who blamed on the local government unit (LGU) for not protecting the environment. “We don’t want that people will blame us for not making a comprehensive disaster preparedness measures,” Culve explained.
According to the study of geologists, Culve said this year 2012, there are disasters to come in the Philippines saying that the country is lying within the “Pacific Ring of Fire” . “It is expected that there are about 200 dormant volcanoes ready to erupt anytime, thus we need to be ready,” Culve reported.
Culve said the SP has sent also letters to office of civil defense (OCD9) regional director Adriano Fuego and Philippine red cross (PRC) provincial administrator Hildaliza Muñoz to appear in the next regular session on January 13 to explain on what training programs with regard to disaster prevention and disaster preparedness they have implemented adding that offices have primary roles in the disaster-management training programmes.
“There will be question and answer session where Fuego and Muñoz will be asked on the disaster preparedness and management measures,” Culve added.
It can be recalled that on February 8, 2007, OCD 9 in coordination with the city government conducted an earthquake drill to mitigate the impact of disaster where teachers, students in public elementary and secondary schools, government employees, and the public have joined the activity.
Pagadian was once a victim natural disaster in on August 16, 1976 where huge tsunami waves battered the shorelines and killed thousands of lives and swept away houses in the Moro Gulf earthquake and tsunami. (JPA/GCC-PIA9, ZamboSur)