Puerto CDRRMO trains barangays on risk reduction plan
The Puerto Princesa City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office ( CDRRMO) recently conducted a training on risk reduction planning and use of disaster funds for the city’s 66 villages. Earl Timbancaya, head of the CDRMMO said Friday that their training was done during the disaster risk reduction management (DRRM) summit dubbed “1st Puerto Princesa City DRRM Summit” held on August 30, 2018. It was jointly undertaken by the city government with the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), and the Department of Health (DOH). He said the barangays were trained on how to formulate their own DRRM plans with budgets to help them utilize five percent of their funds in their Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund (LDRRMF). The barangay disaster risk reduction and management plan, he said, outlines and specifies the projects and activities that will be the basis for the release and the utilization of their LDRRMFs. He said the training was timely since most of the barangay officials are newly-elected. The barangay DRRM plans will guide them in providing assistance to the different barangays of the city in times of calamities and emergencies, he said. “Ang ating mga barangay officials ay mostly mga newly-elected yan, kaya napakahal- aga nitong pag-train sa kanila sa pamamagitan ng pagbibigay ng tamang format at ito na ang pagbabasehan nila. In order na ma-utilize ang LDRRMF ay dapat naka-in place ang plano. Kung may plano sila ay magiging basis ito kung paano natin sila mabibigyan ng assistance,” he said. Timbancaya said pursuant to Republic Act 10121 or the Philippine Disaster Reduction and Management Act, the five percent disaster fund of a barangay will be 70 percent for preparedness and 30 percent is for response and rehabilitation. “Ang 70 percent ay para sa paghahanda, samantalang itong 30 percent ay ilalaan para sa during and after the calamity,” he said. For preparedness, the fund can be used to procure rescue equipment, food, non-food supplies, medicine, and others “for stockpiling,” construction of evacuation centers and other projects and activities. It is important to prepare for any calamity, he said. The CDRRMO for instance, have prepared and maintained a food supply good for one week for 600 families as their threshold, he also said.