By Mary May A. Abellon
DIPOLOG CITY – The provincial government of Zamboanga del Norte recently conducted a tripartite meeting of the Provincial Development Council (PDC), Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) and the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (PDRRMC) at the 2nd Floor Commercial Building I, Boulevard Commercial Complex, this city.
The meeting, held on September 4, was presided by ZN Governor Roberto Y. Uy with the presence of Vice-Governor Senen O. Angeles, Board Members, local chief executives/representatives, officials and employees of national and local offices and representatives from private sectors.
“I am hoping that we can come up with a comprehensive output in this meeting,” Governor Uy said in his opening message.
“We must not work with word or tongue only but must work in action or deed,” he added quoting the Bible.
Provincial Budget Officer Mary Joy A. Abitona presented the 2015 Development Fund of the province amounting to Php 282,900,000.00.
On the other hand, the total estimated cost for programs and projects funded from external sources, counterpart funds for national line agencies and for the LGUs, general fund, calamity fund, and development fund amounted to Php 46,099,238,736.00.
“I am asking the local chief executives to revise their geohazard maps because of the many addition and changes of disaster risk prone areas in the province,” DILG Provincial Director Maria Calpiza J. Sardua asked the mayors and their representatives during the meeting.
Meanwhile, Dipolog City Mayor Evelyn T. Uy stressed that the Dipolog CDRRMC is incorporating both the man-made and natural disasters and calamities in its programs.
Federation of Senior Citizen Acting President George Labog asked the PDRRMC to also include the man-made disaster in their 2015 Action Plan like what the city of Dipolog has done.