A “Tapatan” or dialogue was held by Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to launch the Seal of Disaster Preparedness (SDP) and to test the readiness of every local government units (LGU) in the region in combating the various disasters affecting the region
DILG Secretary Jesse M. Robredo said to measure the preparedness of an LGU is to determine its operational and institutional parameters, if it has a functioning and functional local disaster risk reduction and management council (LDRRMC).
Robredo said there are three ways to assess the preparedness of LGUs. First is for its institutional readiness. “We don’t want a local DRRMC with unpolished or half-baked plans, or something which has an executive order, has a name but does not exist, or that LDRRMC which is not well-coordinated and only meet whenever they are faced with disasters.”
Second is for operational readiness. Do they have local DRR plans, were they able to conduct a dry run for possible evacuation and identified evacuation centers? What basic equipment do they have?
The third way is on mainstreaming disaster mitigation in planning, the most important part of the SDP. Robredo said this is to test whether an LGU has identified danger/risk areas, updated their land-use plan for clear identification of the commercial developments and danger areas.
The prime objective is to come up with an open dialogue to know LGUs’ problems, test their readiness, and at the same time encourage them to come up with an effective plan that would lead to a less if not zero casualties and damages in times of disasters, Robredo said. (ANL/MPA/PIA 1 La Union)
