By Mary May A. Abellon
DIPOLOG CITY – Seventeen municipalities in Zamboanga del Norte have already undergone a two-day training on community-based risk reduction management conducted by the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (PDRRMC).
PDRRMC Safety Officer Allen Sison said that the same training is slated to be conducted in eight remaining municipalities of the province.
Sison also disclosed that “all barangays from each municipality shall be assessed whether they are flood or landslide risk areas and/or whether there are risks of epidemics, drought or fire in the area.”
“The number of houses and the population of a particular barangay would also be determined, including the possible evacuation center where the residents can be safe and sheltered,” he added.
During the training, the participants are made to give their recommendations/suggestions to help prevent and mitigate the impact of natural disasters on their communities.
Based on the recommendations made by the participants in the trainings conducted, they suggested to hold tree planting activities especially in watershed areas, construct flood control barrier along the riverbanks, set uo “botika ng barangay,” and construct other infrastructures such as drainage canals, spillway, bridge, roads, covered court, and irrigation system.
They also suggested that barangays be given a seminar disaster risk reduction management including rescue equipment/facilities.
The 17 towns which have already undergone disaster management training were La Libertad, Sergio Osmeña and Polanco of the first district; Jose Dalman, Siayan, Roxas and Katipunan of the second district; and Liloy, Leon B. Postigo, Gutalac, Kalawit, Siocon, Sibuco, Sirawai, Godod and Labason and Tampilisan of the third district.
PDRRMC team is in Piñan today and tomorrow and in Manukan on May 22-23 to conduct the said training.
Participants gave recommendations on the mitigation and prevention of natural disasters like tree planting, flood prevention, reforestation of the water protected area, construction of “botika ng barangay”, river control, drainage, spillway, bridge, roads, covered court, and irrigation system.
They also suggested that barangays should be given with seminar on Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction Management (BDRRM) and be given with rescue facilities.