Council pushing for disaster office
As required by the Department of the Interior and Local Government, a proposed ordinance creating the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CCDRRMO) is being pushed in the City Council.
City Councilor Sisinio Andales said the city government did not get the Seal of Good Governance because of lack of legislation for disaster management.
“I took the cudgel to propose this. I hope this measure will be approved before the submission of documents for the Seal of Good Governance this year,” he told The FREEMAN.
Andales referred his proposed ordinance to the council's committee on laws for its perusal and recommendations.
He said the existing disaster team needs to be organized by establishing a separate department for them.
Under Section 3 of the proposed measure, the organization and staffing of CCDRRMO will consist of two units composed of the Administrative Service Division (ASD) and Operations Division (OD).
The ASD would have the logistics section and the planning and research section, while the OD is made up of the Quick Response Unit and the Mitigation and Rehabilitation Section.
Under the proposed measure, the CCDRRMO is responsible for setting the direction, development, implementation, and coordination of disaster risk reduction and management programs within the city.
CCDRRMO will perform several functions like research and planning; administration and training; and operations and warning.
Under the research and planning, the office will design and coordinate all disaster-related activities with the standards and guidelines of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
It is mandated to consolidate all disaster risk information including the natural hazards, climate change risks, among others. CCDRRMO will also serve as the executive arm of the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. As for the administration and training, the CCDRRMO will organize and conduct training, orientation and knowledge management activities on disaster risk reduction management.
It is also asked to identify and implement cost-effective risk reduction measures and strategies on the identified hazards, vulnerabilities, and risks that may occur in the city.
As for the operations and warning, Andales proposed that the CCDRRMO will operate a multi-hazard early warning linked to DRR to provide accurate and timely advice to the national and local emergency response organizations through diverse mass media.