By
Gideon C. Corgue
PAGADIAN CITY – The
Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has urged the local
government units (LGUs) to prepare for natural disasters.
In his message during the
operation “Listo” provincial convergence and launching ceremony of disaster
preparedness manual at Hotel Guillermo here, Provincial Director Verner
Virgilio Jayme of DILG-Zamboanga del Sur said the LGU takes an active role in
Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) and Disaster Risk Reduction Management (DRRM).
“The
LGUs are mandated to take an active role in climate change adaptation and
mitigation measures to ensure safety of families and communities in times of
disasters,” Jayme pointed out.
Jayme
also said the role of the local chief executives as chairpersons of the Local Disaster Risk Reduction Management
Councils (LDRRMC) is very important in making the local communities prepared
for typhoons and floods.
Jayme
said the government is embarking a very important program dubbed “operation listo” to enhance the capabilities of LGUs to be at the
forefront of the government’s initiative to adapt, mitigate and prepare for
climate change and disasters.
Jayme said the
disaster preparedness manual distributed to the 24 municipalities and a city will
help them formulate their respective plans and allow them to assess/determine
their level of readiness including their needs to meet the minimum requirements
for readiness.
“It also assists them
in planning for disaster response. They can also ask from DILG to reinforce
them long before any typhoon arrives,”
Jayme said.
The manual contains three critical
preparedness actions: Alpha (Yellow), Bravo (Orange), and Charlie (Red).
Meanwhile, Assistant Regional Director
Pedro Cuevas in his message said the public should be prepared in the event of any
natural disaster. “We should not be complacent and rely upon just the prayer,
instead we should be proactive,” Cuevas urged.
Cuevas also said “disasters and
calamities may strike at any place or time, as we have already experienced and
witnessed how these disasters affected
the lives of many Filipinos.”