Caraganons engage in disaster resilience activities
By Kelvin Kennt R. Generalo
PROSPERIDAD, Agusan del Sur – In line with this year's National Disaster Resilience Month (NDRM) with the theme, “Bantayog ng Katatagan at ang Pagbubuklod sa Layuning Kahandaan,” the various stakeholders in the region actively participated in the lined up activities of the celebration that promote resilience from disaster/calamity that may strike the region.
This was the highlight of the discussion during the recently held Kapihan sa PIA at SM City Butuan dubbed as “Usapang Resilience.”
Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Caraga Dir. RD Liza Mazo, who serves as chairperson of the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) tackled and emphasized the importance of disaster preparedness and community resilience as the core of their advocacy.
“This is not just a theme for July. Rather, this is a daily focus for us, especially to those frontliners in disaster risk reduction and management,” she said.
“In collaboration with Local Government Units (LGUs) and Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Offices (MDRRMOs), we kicked off our activities during the first week of July with our member agencies here in Butuan City,” Dir. Mazo added.
Mazo also mentioned the organization of the three-day program on Rescue Olympics in Dinagat Islands, and the Rescuer Summit in Surigao del Sur. She clarified that there are numerous activities put in place throughout the month to strengthen information drive and community participation that culminated on July 29th with awards and recognition for those who significantly contributed to organizing and performing heroic acts of service in local response efforts.
In line with the Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR) protocol, Mazo also addressed the recent weather conditions, including Tropical Storm Carina, the Southwest Monsoon, and Tropical Depression Butchoy saying, "Caraga was among the regions in the country that is on a standby protocol," she relayed.
Mazo reminded the residents in the different communities not to be complacent, instead to continue to be vigilant and be mindful of the safety measures during any disaster or calamity.
“We anticipate potential calamities towards the end of the year, including floods during the ‘ber’ months up until January. Although we are currently experiencing some manageable rain, we are prepared,” she said.
“This standby protocol, which we refer to as EPR, involves protocols from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) down to the barangay level. The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) supports this through its Operation Listo program, which aims to strengthen disaster preparedness of LGUs using a whole-of-government approach,” she added.
The director explained, “Under the EPR protocol, if there is an impending threat or a simple rain causing flooding, a pre-disaster risk assessment is organized by the affected LGUs. This assessment categorizes risks into three levels: high, moderate, and low.”
“Through the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), we determine the typhoon's path and landfall, while the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) assesses areas at risk of floods and landslides,” she said.
“The information and assessments are science-based, categorizing areas as high, moderate, or low risk. For example, 'Charlie' denotes high risk, 'Bravo' moderate risk, and 'Alpha' low risk. Fortunately, Caraga is currently not in any of these risk categories with the current weather disturbance,” she added.
Mazo proudly noted that despite facing numerous disasters, such as Super Typhoon Odette, which affected Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte, and parts of Agusan del Norte, the Caraga region has demonstrated resilience and continues to emerge stronger. (KKG, PIA-Agusan del Sur)
