DUMAGUETE CITY , Philippines - – The city government of Dumaguete signed Thursday an agreement for implementation of the community-based Noah’s Ark project that provides disaster risk management training, workshops and drills for identified barangays that have been badly hit by calamity.
The Noah’s Ark project, in partnership with Corporate Network for Disaster Response (CDNR) of Smart Communications, DepEd-City Division and the Candau-ay barangay council, aims to strengthen the capacities of the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils at the city and barangay levels in order to prepare them to cope with impacts of flooding.
The MOA was signed by CNDR president and SmartCom’s public affairs head Ramon Isberto, CNDR officer-in-charge Mabel Josephine Apostol, Barangay Candau-ay Chairman Gregorio Oira, Candau-ay Elementary School Principal Barsilisa Patrimonio and City Administrator William Ablong.
Candau-ay, as the project beneficiary, was heavily flooded during typhoon Sendong on December 17, 2011, according to Isberto, adding that CNDR is now working on following the trail of disasters in the country and helping calamity-hit communities to recover.
Trainings and workshops are lined up in the barangay to make it efficient in receiving information for coming weather disturbances, quick response in relief operations and pre-emptive evacuation for possible flood victims.
The Noah’s Ark project is never a competitor of the NOAH project of PAG-ASA and the Department of Science and Technology, said Apostol who explained that both projects would instead complement each other by using the same name to ensure verified and early information for a coming disaster like a typhoon.
Apostol said barangay residents and a resilient community can help achieve the project’s desire for zero casualties and save lives and properties in time of calamity and disaster. (FREEMAN)