Local agencies in Iloilo city strengthen DRRM plan for the next 3 years
To further strengthen and address gaps existing in the current Local Disaster Risk Reduction Management (LDRRM) Plan for the City of Iloilo, representatives from relevant government agencies convened to share expertise and come up an updated plan for the years 2019-2021.
World Vision Development Foundation, a non-government organization working in the Philippines for more than 60 years, and the City Government of Iloilo organized the LDDRM Planning activity, which happened last July 11-13, this year, at Goducate Training Center, San Miguel.
Philippines is considered as the most exposed country in the world to tropical storms. It endures an average of twenty a year. Super typhoon Yolanda (international name: Haiyan) was the most destructive one in recent years, hitting major cities in Visayas regions, including Iloilo City. The natural calamity prompted many cities to better prepare against more disasters. The city government of Iloilo became more active in implementing Disaster Mitigation projects. Its existing LDRRM Plan has been helpful of having a disaster-resilient city in the recent years.
“The significance of the LDRRM planning is about the local government and stakeholders taking action in assessing the risks and identifying potential hazards that might affect people and properties,” shares Francis Carreon, a resource person from Wold Vision. “It allows them to identify solutions, projects and activities, allocate budget from the local disaster risk fund and engage the community, including the children,” he added.
The participants are representatives from the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), DepEd Iloilo City, Philippine National Police (PNP), City Health Office, City Engineer’s Office, General Services Office, Philippine Coast Guard, City Planning and Development Office, City DRRM Office, City Social Welfare Development Office, City Agriculturist Office, Business Permit and Licensing Office, Public Safety and Traffic Management Office, and the City Councilor-Sangguniang Panlalawigan. Speakers of the workshop are from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Region 7 and PAGASA Iloilo.
LDRRM Planning is a mandate by the government through the Republic Act 10121 or the “Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) Act of 2010.” It requires LGUs to provide strategic directions towards disaster risk reduction while pursuing development.
World Vision shares the same vision with the government of creating disaster-resilient communities. The organization’s priority is to improve the resilience of communities to disasters and give children a safer environment to live in. There were 282,269 Filipinos reached by World Vision’s Disaster Risk Reduction interventions in the year 2016.
—Written by Mong Jimenez, World Vision/September 11, 2018
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