ILOILO City – Local government units (LGUs) in Western Visayas are already capacitated as far as earthquake drills and other disaster preparedness are concerned.
Melissa Banias, spokesperson and chief of the Policy Development and Planning Section (PDPS) of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Region 6, said it is just a matter of implementation.
“It is a matter of political will on the part of the local government unit… When it comes to prioritizing the preparedness, generally ara na ang dapat nila obrahan. They already have the checklist, the plan that should be crafted as well as all necessary guidance coming from government agencies,” said Banias.
Aside from OCD-6, Banias said other government agencies like the Department of Interior and Local Government and Department of Health also have mandates relative to capacity building and other necessary assistance to LGUs when it comes to disaster preparedness.
Meanwhile, Banias stressed that the conduct of nationwide quarterly earthquake drills or the National Simultaneous Earthquake Drill (NSED) is a regular program of the OCD.
It has already been institutionalized since 2016 and participated by LGUs, various agencies and other stakeholders.
Aside from the NSED, there are also earthquake drills and capacity-building activities initiated by stakeholders such as LGU, schools, hospitals, and other entities wherein OCD can provide technical assistance.
Banias also emphasized that LGUs’ preparedness against earthquakes and other calamities is also part of the parameters of the Gawad Kalasag (GK) Search for Excellence in Disaster Risk Reduction and Management and Humanitarian Assistance and Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG).
Gawad Kalasag served as the country’s recognition and award scheme for various stakeholders who promote and implement disaster risk reduction and management, and climate change adaptation (DRRM-CCA), among others.
SGLG, meanwhile, is a progressive assessment system that gives distinction to remarkable local government performance across several areas including disaster-preparedness as part of their regular programming.
Meanwhile, Banias echoed Department of Science and Technology (DOST) secretary and concurrent Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) director Renato Solidum that indeed there is a need for LGUs to regularly update their contingency plan.
On the part of the OCD-6, she said the office has been issuing a memorandum enjoining LGUs to update their respective contingency plan.
“Gina-encourage gid na naton ang LGU nga mag-update sang ila contingency plan not only for earthquake lang man kundi sa iban man… for example, na-identify nila ila evacuation center. Sang una wala pa gabaha, subong gabaha na, so they have to update ang ila contingency plan,” Banias explained.
She added that their office is also extending assistance to LGUs in crafting or updating their contingency plan./PN
