ILOILO City – July is the start of the typhoon season. Local government units (LGUs) should prepare, according to the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) in Western Visayas.
“Handaan gid naton ang inventory sa mga response equipment and pag-prepare sang responders,” said OCD Region 6 spokesperson Cindy Ferrer.
July is incidentally being observed as National Disaster Resilience Month.
LGUs must also be ready for possible earthquakes following last month’s 4.5-magnitude quake that jolted Antique, said Ferrer.
Taal Volcano in Batangas is showing restiveness and although Region 6 is far away, LGUs must prepare, she added, pointing out that Kanlaon in Negros Occidental is an active volcano.
“Although indi man kita directly affected, sometimes ang national hazards may epekto man diri,” said Ferrer.
Taal Volcano spewed volcanic plumes on Thursday.
LGUs in the region have disaster risk reduction management plans “but may ara nga wala nila gina-prioritize,” said Ferrer. “But sige-sige man ang aton remind sa ila and pag-convince nga dapat i-prioritize gid.”
OCD-6 encourages LGUs to improve personnel trainings, procurement of additional equipment and funding for disaster preparedness down to the barangay level.
It also extends technical assistance to LGUs.
TREE-PLANTING
To mark the National Disaster Resilience Month, OCD-6 conducted a tree-planting activity dubbed “TREESILIENCE” in Barangay Igcocolo, Guimbal, Iloilo on July 1. Two hundred fruit-bearing trees were planted.
Its personnel were joined by the Regional Incident Management Team, Guimbal municipal officials and members of the Korea International Cooperation (KOICA) and Philippine KOICA Fellows Association, Inc. (PHILKOFA).
This year’s theme is “Tamang Pamamahala’t Kahandaan, Kaalaman at Pagtutulungan sa Sakuna at Pandemya’y Kalasag ng Bayan.”
Director Jose Roberto Nuñez of the OCD-6 said this year’s observance emphasizes, among others, the importance of disaster risk reduction and management and the need to understand disaster risks, enhancing community disaster preparedness and strengthening risk governance.
“I call on all stakeholders to continuously support our programs and initiatives in the areas of disaster prevention and mitigation, preparedness, response, as well as recovery and rehabilitation, all of which will contribute towards increasing disaster resilience in the communities,” Nuñez said./PN
