Important to remember

Please remember these following dates: September 17 and September 21.

Both dates are very crucial to sustain the right to life of people and communities, of those in Cebu and those throughout this country.

On the 17th of September, a whole day-workshop to strengthen the disaster resiliency of Cebu City will be held at the City Library.

Co-sponsored by Cebu City Councilors Nida Cabrera and Alvin Dizon, together with partners from the University of the Philippines (UP–Cebu), University of Cebu (UC), and the Regional Center of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development (RCE-Cebu), the event expects participants from various sectors to form solid, committed members and groups that can respond effectively to any type of disaster that may affect any part of Cebu City in the future.

The workshop hopes to strengthen and organize a more effective network of disaster preparedness, rescue, response, and management not only on the city level but all the way to barangays and sitios.

The hope is to minimize risks and damage, especially to people and communities, should any disaster strike.

The September 17th workshop is premised on the hope that when fires, floods, typhoons, earthquakes, tsunami, and any other disasters come, a strong network with ready teams on this day will be very effectively organized to promptly respond, at the soonest time possible, so that people will be adequately prepared and safely rescued and protected wherever they are.

The morning session will be graced by resource speakers who will brief the participants about their agency’s experience with disaster management. These include a discussion about “Disaster Resiliency & Early Warning System,” by Engr. Oscar Tabada of PAG-ASA Mactan, a situationer about Cebu City’s disaster resiliency by Ms. Catherine YSO, Executive Director of the City’ Disaster Risk Reduction and Management. Sharing of San Francisco, Camotes Island’s Sitio-Level Disaster Resiliency Management System by UN awardee Vice Mayor Al Arquillano and all the way from their central office, Mr. Hayato Nakamura, the Project Formulation Adviser on Disaster Risk Reduction of JICA Philippines will share Japan’s experience and system for disaster management.

The afternoon sessions of the workshop will buckle down to eliciting the active commitment and participation of invited multisectoral guests in the development of working teams and networks that will ensure more effective and responsive teams and networks both on the city-level and all the way to all communities and sitios of Cebu City. Nothing can be organized instantly but taking this first crucial, coordinated, committed step, hopefully, will ensure better protection of all in Cebu City at the soonest time possible!

For more information about this September 17th event, please contact 0939-902-6971 and 0932-873-6193.

The other important date to remember, September 21st, is a familiar historical date for every Filipino. So as to ensure that all Filipinos always remember NOT TO FORGET how human rights to life and to freedom were curtailed by the Marcos dictatorial martial law regime, Akbayan has called for the teaching of the abuses during these dark decades under Marcos’ authoritarian rule at the elementary level. On the 21st of September, the office of Councilor Alvin Dizon is inviting everyone to Plaza Independencia from 1pm to celebrate the International Day of Peace during this 40th year of Martial Law. You may also wish to bring roses or any flower to offer for peace and freedom for our people especially.

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