by Rene V. Carbayas
LAMITAN CITY, Basilan – The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), through the Office of Civil Defense-Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (OCD-ARMM) gathered the stakeholders for the DRRM Basilan Summit held in this city recently.
Regional Director Manuel Luis M. Ochotorena of the Office of Civil Defense-ARMM said that the summit was conducted to enjoin the local level to come up with DRRM plan.
“This time we go to provincial level purposely to come up with a DRRM planning and workshop down to the municipal level,” he said.
Based on the results of the workshops the OCD-ARMM chief discovered that a number of municipalities and towns have not designated an official DRRM officer. He said that most of the present officers handle other functions as planning officers.
“There is already a law mandating the local chief executives to designate a DRRM officer, i.e. a plantilla position, with three staff members, through a circular.
In spite of this, the OCD could only motivate and encourage them to designate one, the soonest possible time,” he said adding that “the role of the local chief executives (LCEs) is crucial,” he said.
Dismayed by the absence of the LCEs, Ochotorena only hopes that their representatives could provide them feedback on the results of the workshops especially in terms of disaster preparation.
“If you are the chief executive who is really looking for the safety and welfare of your constituents, you should be able to put in place the mechanisms of the local DRRM council and the facilities required with a DRRM officer and staff with it and an operation center,” he stressed.
He explained that “the OCD is only to orchestrate the DRRM and provide technical assistance to particular locality that needs them.”
“Walang plano, walang patutunguhan (no plans, no direction),” he noted, stressing on the value of planning and the eventual implementation of the plan.
Some major gaps in disaster preparedness have surfaced during the summit.
They include designation of DRRM officer (plantilla position), 3 staff, and funding to function as the secretariat for DRRM council, facilities for Operation Center like communication facilities from municipality down to the Barangay level, early warning system, contingency plan for different scenarios, and simulation exercise for contingency plan.
He underscored the importance of simulation exercise of the contingency plan in order for the key leaders to internalize what have to be done during disasters.
“With what is happening now in the Philippines [disasters] dapat sigurong tutukan ito ng mga (these should be taken into consideration by) LCEs to protect their constituents and keep them safe,” he said.
Selected members of the local DRRM committees of the different municipalities and cities (including Isabela City) were expected to participate.
Unfortunately, the local chief executives who serve as chairpersons of the local DRRM committees and or councils were absent, except for Lamitan City Mayor Rose Furigay who only graced the opening program and left shortly.
During the two-day summit, Mauricio M. Flores of DILG-ARMM presented the allocation and utilization of the Local Disaster Risk Reduction Management (LDRRM) Fund from the local Internal Revenue Fund (IRA) of every barangay, municipality, city and province.
“Thus, there is no reason for any locality to complain about lack of funds.”
He said that five percent of the IRA should go to LDRRM where 30 percent is intended for quick response and 70 percent of which is for preparation and mitigation, i.e. acquisition of needed equipage of the LDRRM Office and response team.
Basilan DRRM Officer Anwary Akalon said that the provincial plan is still incomplete as most of the data needed are not yet available, especially those from the municipalities.
Four ARMM-created municipalities in Basilan remain to have no IRA share and expressed their concern about disaster preparation without any fund support. Recently, ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman has announced during the LGU summit in Davao, that these municipalities, namely Albarka, Moh. Ajul, Hadji Mohtamad, and Akbar will receive monthly subsidy of P500,000 soon.