Be prepared always, DILG tells LGU

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has reminded all local government units (LGU) to always be early with their disaster preparedness action plan in the wake of succeeding typhoons entering the country.

During a media forum on LGU protocols and Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM), DILG Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya advised LGU to conduct sooner actions and not to wait for the eleventh hour before doing efforts to safeguard their communities.

“Typhoons are entering our country successively that is why we are assigning LGU to be always prepared. We do not have to wait for the disaster to come before we move,” Malaya said.

He said that LGU are mandated by law to carry out disaster preparedness actions and if necessary, emergency measures before, during and in the aftermath of disasters and calamities in their jurisdictions.

Malaya explained that under Republic Act 10121 or the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction Management Act of 2010, the role of LGU in DRRM can be summed up in three, namely to reduce risks, reduce vulnerabilities and respond and recover in times of disasters.

“We know that we must build the capacities, readiness and resiliency of LGU and the communities but building resilience is not just a matter of teaching the technical staff or acquiring technical know-how. That is why the support and the political will of the governors and mayors and the local legislative bodies are very important,” Malaya said.

The DILG has earlier directed local chief executives, who are also the chairpersons of their respective disaster risk reduction and management councils, to be physically present in their LGU stations to prepare for an impending typhoon or face administrative cases.

It has also issued a memorandum amending the guidelines on local and foreign travel of local officials which includes the recall of travel authority issued them by the DILG secretary in case there is an emergency, natural or human-induced disaster.