Building ‘disaster-resilient’ infra part of RDC-7’s three-year plan

CEBU, Philippines -  The Regional Development Council (RDC)-7 is giving high priority to the repair and rehabilitation of natural disaster-damaged facilities in infrastructure development in Central Visayas for the next three years.

It is part of the Updated Central Visayas Regional Development Plan (CV-RDP) for 2014-2016 that the RDC-7 approved during its last full council meeting for 2013 on Dec. 19.

The RDC-7 said the Updated CV-RDP reflects the region's priorities consistent with the inclusive growth development framework of the Aquino administration.

According to the plan, in the transportation sector, the RDC would ensure the speedy repair and restoration of damaged roads, bridges and ports using post-disaster recovery and rehabilitation plans prepared by concerned agencies and local government units as guide.

The RDC should also pursue the adoption of a National Transportation Policy to serve as overall guide in the establishment of an efficient, effective, coordinated and integrated multimodal transport system.

In the energy sector, implementation of committed capacity addition projects, which are expected to add 430 megawatts (mw) to the Visayas Grid, would be pursued and closely monitored.

The RDC would likewise ensure the implementation of more power projects to provide additional capacity of 330mw 2013 to 2016 and another 388mw from 2017 to 2018.

In the agriculture sector, RDC is expected to rehabilitate and develop new irrigation systems to support the region's goal of six tons per hectare of rice production by the end of 2016. 

The body intends to encourage participation of irrigators associations in the operation and management of irrigation facilities through the Irrigation Management Transfer program.

In the health sector, the region shall accelerate the implementation of the Health Facility Enhancement Program (HFEP) of the Department of Health.

The HFEP aims to upgrade priority barangay health stations and rural health units to provide basic emergency obstetric and newborn care services.

In the education sector, RDC expects to fast-track its school building program, giving priority to repair or reconstruction of schools damaged by recent natural disasters.

The RDC-7 recognized that one of the more critical tasks of the region in the next three years would be to upgrade the design of infrastructure facilities to make them more "disaster-resilient."

Towards this end, the body has created a technical work group to review and recommend amendments to the National Building Code. (FREEMAN)