Climate Change is here to stay and
mankind’s peril is inivitable without putting in place the safety net of Risk
Reduction and Management System (DRRMS).
The Provision
Republic Act No.
10121 known as “The Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of
2010” provides that funds be appropriated to uphold the people’s constitutional
life and property by addressing the root causes of vulnerabilities to
disasters, strengthening the country’s institutional capacity for DRR and
Management and building the resilience of local communities to disasters
including climate change impacts.
Dir. Aniano D.
Fuego put an emphasis on the importance on the wise implementation of the Act
for disaster mitigation to save lives.
The Wake-up Call
The
much talked about DRRMS need to be strengthened as the country is located in
the Pacific ring of fire and Region 9 has a share of active faults and
trenches, emphasized the head of the Philippine
Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS),
Dr. Renato U. Solidum, Jr.
Change in typhoon routes to Mindanao
calls for the everyone’s preparedness and better implementation of the framework
of DRRM programs, such as Preparedness, Mitigation, Response and Rehabilitation.
The Inspiration
This concern,
resulted to the efforts of RDC 9 thru the leadership of its chair, Mayor Evelyn
T. Uy and the logistics support from NEDA 9
and OCD 9 headed by directors Teresita Socorro C. Ramos and Adriano D. Fuego to come
up with the recent DRRM Executive Briefing in Iloilo City with a visit to
Guimbal municipality.
Guimbal is a
fourth-class municipality pride of Region-6, which Civil
Defense-6 Director Rosario Cabrera said is a “Hall of Fame” in
showcasing the town’s intensive pursuit of excellence in disaster
preparedness.She is the 2012 Gawad Kalasag Hall of Fame (Kalamidad at Sakuna Labanan Sariling
Galing ang Kaligtasan) National Awardee in the field of DRRM.
Best Practice Showcase
Better
implementation of the Framework of DRRM Program: Preparedness, Mitigation,
Response and Rehabilitation is Guimbal’s secret of disaster preparedness unlimitedly
shared to RDC-9 executives
during their brief
visit.
Guimbal Mayor,
Christine S. Garin who was ably represented by the municipal information
officer said that proactive leadership, LGU development plan and DRR integration,
community-based mapping of households
with corresponding number and hazard identification color codes for landslide,
fire, flood and storm surge, multi sectoral involvement and private sector support
thru MOA are among the responses they preparedto keep everybody safe when
disaster strikes.
Lessons
Learned
Karin, Guimbal’s
Information Officer shared that sectoral involvement, implementation of the DRRM program intwined with other LGU essential programs such as
health, peace and order, agriculture, livelihood, education and business are
factors that dictate the sucess of the program.
The
Challenge
Excellence
in the field of DRRM is no secret afterall but a sheer sincere determination to
keep everyone at every homes, every offices and every communities proactively
safe. Community-based DRRMs should be organized and functional at all times. Continuing
campaigns and advocacies for management hazards and tasks should be maintained.
More importantly, greater investments
and efforts for prevention and mitigation should be allocated if only to
mainstream DRRM in local development plans and programs.
The RDC 9 executives are one in belief
that if the result of the RDC 9 DRRM executive briefing in Iloilo and onsite
vist to the municipality of Guimbal - the Kalasag Hall of Fame would result to
the formulation of a functional draft of Region 9
DRRM plan based on standardized structures, the journey then is worth it
all. (PIA9)