Domogan to review city disaster plan

BAGUIO City Mayor Mauricio Domogan agreed for the need to revisit the present city disaster risk reduction management plan to come up with the needed amendments which will respond to the needs of the times.

In the weekly Ugnayang Panglunsod, Domogan stressed the importance of revisiting the CDRRM plan particularly during calamity after the city and the Cordillera region was placed under a state of calamity by President Rodrigo Duterte following the effects Typhoon Ompong.

“There is a need for our city government to continuously improve in preparing for disasters which is why if there is a need for the acquisition of needed equipments, then we will have to get the fund from our calamity fund,” Domogan said.

Domogan stated the present calamity fund of the city is at P91 million aside from the possibility for the city to access funds from the national calamity fund which would help in the rehabilitation of public structures in the city.

“As of today, the estimated damages accounted for by the city engineering office brought about by Typhoon Ompong on public structures was at P404 million. With the declaration by the President, we are hopeful we can access additional funds from the national calamity fund aside from our city calamity fund,” the mayor stressed.

In accessing the national calamity fund, the city will have to look into the reports of the city disaster team and engineering office and review what has to be prioritized.

Aside from the public structures affected by Ompong, Domogan is still waiting for the damages to private structures wherein the city government may provide assistance to those affected by the typhoon.

“Aside from the possible acquisition of the much needed equipments which will help in responding to calls for assistance during disasters, the city will also involve the Mines and Geosciences Bureau Cordillera to reidentify danger zones and soil erosion and slide prone areas in the city so that if there is a need for families located in these areas to evacuate, then the city will have to evacuate them and make sure no liveable structures will be left in these areas the MGB will identify as danger zones,” Domogan added.