DRRM is the Key!

Lorelie E. Camaya

Many countries in Asia are regularly experiencing severe disasters. Our country is among those considered countries that need to approach the disasters like its neighboring countries in Asia.

We can hardly count the number of disasters that hit our nation since then typhoons, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods, etc. The richer it is in natural resources, the more likely it is that it will be at risk due to disaster. Disasters often bring catastrophe to everyone. It has taken a huge blow to every family who is experiencing it. It has no choice of age, status in life, or time. Some lives were taken away and some livelihoods were lost like ash depending on its severity. That is why everyone has accepted that instead of sulking and grieving all the time, why not try to fight and prepare for it.

These are such scenarios that we should take the DRRM ((Disaster Risk Reduction and Management) lesson seriously.

True, DRRM lessons or teaching DRRM to students is the solution. Align with this, education is the key to arming not only the students but also their families. Preparation, planning, collaboration, and implementation of DRRM in education must be taken in action or done correctly. Some keys to taking action for DRRM in education are as follow:

Preparation. Any plan must have preparation. Preparation with caution attached and careful implementation of the plan. Include DRRM activities in teaching as our way of producing holistic individuals.

Do self-analysis. You can’t do something if you don’t know yourself. It’s hard to plan if you don’t know where to start. It’s hard to act if I don’t know what is needed. It is difficult to fulfill a duty if you on your own do not have the determination and steadfastness. If the answer is yes, it's time to make it all positively. Take the responsibility positively.

Plan at our best. Once you have identified the needs and the shortcomings, plan well. Be prepared for everything that may happen and may occur beyond our control. This way we are somehow ready and we know what to do.

Collaborate with a smile. If we want our relationships to be good with people who can help us to keep everyone safe, we must try to be happy and treat them well. We should not hesitate to approach them when we need their help and they do the same to us.

Implement with kindness. Preparing the school for the possible threat of disaster, preparing the temporary learning area, and planning action whenever there is a disaster is not easy to do but can be facilitated if carried out with mutual concern. Always consider the welfare of the majority and do it naturally within us so that everyone can feel our sincerity.

Monitor and reset. It is vital to do these if each end of the plan has detected needs or shortcomings to be provided & improved especially if it is seen that there is a way to do it right. It’s not bad to reset or start over as long as your goal is to improve everything.

Let us remember that the purpose of our teaching is to prepare young people for the challenges that they will face in the future. Teaching DRRM is a key for students, especially those students who will graduate from our school, who will be able to protect not only themselves but also the people around them.

The author

is Teacher

--oOo-

III at Pulung Santol National High School