By Pagadian City Press Bureau
For the first
time, the Pagadian City government, along with the Department of Interior and
Local Government and the Office of Civil Defense conducted a 2-day training on
Disaster Preparedness for the Barangay officials of Pagadian last week, July 9
and 10.
During the said
training, Barangay officials were asked to establish disaster plan as a
preparation for possible disasters that may go their way in the future.
Office of Civil
Defense Regional Director Adriano Fuego, during the said training, explained
that Pagadian City and province of Zamboanga del Sur has to prepare for
possible disasters as Davao, Cagayan de Oro and the Negros were able to suffer
from disasters in the past.
“Mindanao is no
longer a typhoon-free area,” he said. During the Typhoon Pablo, he added that for
the first time Region IX was rated at signal number 3, “immediately we called
for an emergency conference, and thankful that as the typhoon neared our area
it shrunk to signal number 1.”
He even told the
Chief Executives that meetings should be conducted during such times, everybody
should be ready for incoming disasters.
In Pagadian City, the
OCD Regional Director cited that it is good that the City Mayor recognized the
need for the city and its Barangays to be prepared. He said that the LGU will be purchasing
equipment for the DRR response and drills will also be conducted in the
baragays.
It was also
learned that Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office was also established
headed by Haron Damada.
Accordingly, a billboard
on the history of Pagadian City who experienced Tsunami on August 1976 where
8,000 people were killed will be posted soon. This should be positioned on a
public place to remind the people of the incident and to make them realize that
they have to plan in case this happens again in the future especially if
PAG-ASA, PHILVOCS or other agencies from the government declare the people on
some areas to evacuate, “they should follow,” he said.
Pagadian City Mayor
Romeo Pulmones, on the other hand, said
he was reminded by the OCD that in the whole Region IX, Pagadian was the only
one not able to organize or even create the City Disaster Risk Reduction and
Management.
“Ug bisan naulahi,
naningkamot me nga matukod nato ang CDRRM,” he said, adding that said group is
very important especially for those in the highlands and the coastal areas. “dili
ra ba ta makatagna ug unsay mga panghitabo nga mga umaabot ilabi na nga makita
nato sa mga TV nga news nga ubay-ubay ang mga nahitabo nga katalagman. So
bentaha gyud nga ready ug andam ta kanunay.”
During the said
training, he also shared that the city government will be purchasing equipment
with the use of the city’s fund for DRR and added that with Disaster
Preparedness, 70% of the DRR fund - which came from the 5% of the whole
Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) – can be used for preparation of identified
possible calamities in the community.
Meanwhile, RD
Fuego also announced that having the Disaster Consciousness Month this month,
the OCD lined up activities in the different areas in Region-IX, different
trainings on DRRM, Search and Rescue, among others.
RD Fuego also
revealed that on July 29-31 there will be a Regional Disaster Risk Reduction
Summit, where 240 participants coming from the Local Chief Executives, officers
of the DRRMOs from the different provinces, cities and municipalities and their
planning officers from the same areas will join. The event will be conducted in
Zamboanga City.
