Dubbed “Iba na ang Panahon: Science for Safer Communities,” the activity gathered the different city and municipal officials, national government agencies (NGAs), media practitioners and other stakeholders to apprise the participants of the different hazards as well as some mitigating measures to reduce vulnerability to disasters such as earthquake, typhoons, flooding, landslide and the like.
City Councilor James Cyril O. Ruiz of Dipolog City found the activity very informative, as "it focused on the technological and technical aspects on disaster preparedness.”
Ruiz also serves as action officer of the City Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO).
It can be recalled that in yesterday’s session, Regional Director Paisal Abutazil of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG)-9 emphasized the important role of the LGUs in disaster management, saying “the recent calamities are a reminder for us to be constantly proactive.”
In a similar note, Zamboanga City Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazar stressed before the participants that the LGUs play an important role in "disaster risk management and disaster preparedness.”
As the 2012 world report showed that the Philippines is the third most disaster-prone country, all the LGUs have to come up with their respective disaster preparedness plan to readily respond to any calamities.