The Office of the Civil Defense in Oriental Negros will convene its 26 deputized coordinators to discuss disaster management next month more 26 civil defense in Dumaguete City.

Provincial OCD chief Allen Cabaron said the meeting aims to strengthen and maintain cohesiveness among local CDDCs who serve as frontliners in disaster management, and to prepare local government units. They will tackle the 2007 directional guidance conference, Cabaron said, stressing that there is a need to regularly enhance disaster coordination among CDDCs after OCD has reduced the number of regionwide enhancement fora for Region 7. He also said the regionwide training enhancement forum was conducted quarterly in different provinces before but will be held only twice a year now.

Cabaron said disaster management is not just the responsibility of the OCDs. He said the law (PD No. 1566) calls for the creation of disaster management councils from the provincial level down to the local government units. The LGUs have a responsibility in disaster management and preparedness.

He noted the need for LGUs to develop or re-develop their hazard maps to pinpoint the localities and population that are at risk.

Aside from this, LGUs also need to identify primary and alternate evacuation centers and develop an early warning system that will quickly disseminate warning signals once disaster strikes in their area, he said.*JG

back to top