About 100 educators and school administrators from various higher educational institutions nationwide will converge on Oct. 17-18 at the Bohol Tropics Resort in Tagbilaran City to discuss the various challenges in mitigating the adverse impacts of disasters in the country. The event highlights this year’s theme of the 12th National Senior Educators’ Assembly in Environmental Protection and Management entitled “Disaster Risk Assessment and Management: Challenges to the Academe.”
Dr. Ruth Guzman, chairperson of the Philippine Association of Tertiary Level Educational Institutions in Environmental Protection and Management (PATLEPAM), said the assembly will comprehensively tackle the complexities of both natural and human-made disasters.
The following topics have been lined up for discussion: Philippines’ vulnerability to disasters (National Disaster Coordinating Council); Climate change and its effects, particularly on agriculture (Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration); Preparedness in earthquakes and volcanic eruptions (Philippine Institute for Volcanology and Seismology); and community preparedness for disasters (Department of Interior and Local Government). The academe’s responses and lessons learned will be presented by the following institutions: The Guimaras oil spill by West Visayas State University; Typhoon Reming devastation by Bicol University; and the Guinsaugon tragedy by Visayas State University.
The assembly is organized by the PATLEPAM in cooperation with the Environmental Management Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources; the Central Visayas State College of Agriculture, Forestry and Technology; and the United Nations Development Programme. – Rosalina Enriquez