Majority of LGUs now "proactive" in disaster-preparedness

CEBU, Philippines - Majority of local government units (LGUs) in Central Visayas are now proactive in implementing measures to mitigate the effects of disasters such as activating their own local disaster risk reduction management councils down to the barangay level.

According to Office of the Civil Defense Operations Officer Neil Sanchez, around 65 to 70 percent of the LGUs in Central Visayas have their own disaster preparedness action plans in compliance with the new law RA 10121 which strengthens the Philippine disaster risk reduction and management system.

The said law provides for LGUs to utilize their local calamity funds for disaster preparedness programs to mitigate the impact of natural calamities.

“Unlike before, LGUs can only spend their calamity fund in response to any disaster in their area but with the new law, LGUs are now given the hand to use their calamity fund for adaptation measures to minimize the effects or risks brought about by disasters,” Sanchez said.

Sanchez rated LGUs in the region with seven on a scale of one to 10 in terms of their efficiency in responding to disasters.

He said the town of San Francisco in Camotes Island, Cebu, which has been awarded with the 2011 prestigious United Nations Sasakawa Award as well as Bayawan City in Negros Oriental, have been taking the lead in spending for projects that tend to minimize the effects of calamities such as building dikes and dredging rivers.

In Cebu, Gov. Gwen Garcia previously issued Provincial Executive Order 02 mandating LGUs to take active participation in the ‘Community Defense Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Trainings (CDDRRMT) spearheaded by the 7th Regional Community Defense Group (RCDG) and Army Reserve Command (ARESCOM), in coordination with the OCD-7 and other concerned government agencies.

Armed Forces of the Philippines Central Command 19th Infantry Division Acting Commander Col. Ceferino Layao representing the 7th RCDG-Cebu said they have conducted the CDDRRMT in the towns of Bantayan Island and Dumanjug.

“In each town, we have trained over 100 barangay tanods and government personnel and our training focus more on mitigating measures instead of disaster response,” Layao bared.

Layao said they plan to train the 17,000 barangay tanods in the whole province as their office is currently finalizing the scheduled training for the Municipality of Sogod. The cities of Talisay and Toledo as well as the towns of Carmen, Balamban, Catmon and Liloan are the next areas for the CDDRRMT. Sanchez meanwhile, said most LGUs in Cebu have forged agreements with radio groups for communication access in times of disasters. (FREEMAN)