SK leaders urged to be DRRM advocates

NATIONAL DRRM Council Executive Director and Office of Civil Defense Administrator Ricardo Jalad urged youth leaders to be an advocate of Disaster risk reduction and management during a gathering in the Summer Capital.

“Everyone can become a hero in disaster risk reduction and management,” Jalad told the youth leaders who attended the National Youth Commission -led Sangguniang K abataan National Summit held recently at Teachers’ Camp.

Jalad outlined the country needs DRRM advocates and heroes given that the Philippines ranked 2nd in 2014 and then 3rd in the past three years (2015 to 2017) in the World Risk Disaster Report based on the study of the UN University Institute for Environment and Human Security.

Disaster brings serious disruption of the functioning of a community or a society given the human, material, economic and environmental losses that it brings, he said.

For the government, Jalad disclosed that the country already shifted from disaster response to the pro – active approach of DRRM guided by Republic Act 10121, that focus on four thematic areas namely Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, Disaster Preparedness, Disaster Response and Rehabilitation and Recovery.

Jalad encouraged the country’s youth leaders to learn more about disaster risk reduction and management and help in ensuring disaster- resilient communities by starting their DRRM advocacy in their own families, fellow youth and in their respective communities.

Other learning sessions in the summit included leadership, good governance, environmental protection, and the SK role as reservists of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, among others.