UNDP says RP needs disaster management agency

MANILA, Philippines - The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has cited the need for the Philippines to have its own specialized disaster management agency with a highly competent “Disaster Czar” to attend to disaster risk mitigation.

Various sector leaders, including Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, called for the creation of such agency following recent onslaughts by Typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng whose floodwaters and strong winds wrought havoc on many communities in Luzon.

Noting the number and frequency of natural disasters spawned by weather disturbances in the country, UNDP Country Director Renaud Meyer said the Philippines indeed needs such a dedicated disaster agency and an effective and efficient “Disaster Czar.”

A recent newspaper report quoted Myer as having pointed to Presidential Economic Adviser and Albay Governor Joey Salceda as the man most fit to run such agency being “one of the country’s models to be emulated for having actually built up preparedness among every level of Albay society and government personnel.”

Meyer pointed out that Salceda has in fact developed Albay, his province as one “that is best prepared to meet contingencies before they happen.”

“A measure of Salceda’s and other Albay officials’ success (in this regard) is the annual decline in casualties, deaths and property damage” from various natural disasters in his province, he added.

Meyer noted that the Albay provincial government and its people not only manage the disaster when it comes and do a good job of doing rescue and relief work, but have also carefully mapped the vulnerable areas of the province and do actual year-round preparedness seminars and drills.

Aside from his key role as Presidential economic adviser, Salceda is also an active campaigner on climate change adaptaton. He has pioneered and coined the term “preemptive evacuation” which means “moving people out of disaster path before the actual danger occurs.” It is now an adopted disaster standard operating procedure nationwide.

Salceda’s target – ‘zero’ casualty – in every natural disaster has been the guiding rule for the local disaster councils in Albay, as well as the crisis managers and the private sector goups that support him, who have all put premium value of human life above all.

Helping the Philippines in development planning to support the Millennium Development Gol (MDG), the UNDP noted with approval that in many places, private sector and civil society groups took initiatives to undertake rescue and relief operations by themselves.