Yolanda taught LGUs to be ‘disaster-ready’
Six years after Super Typhoon Yolanda devastated many areas of the Province of Cebu, then governor now Vice Governor Hilario Davide III said that LGUs learned from the disaster and are now better prepared for natural disasters.
“We pray that a typhoon as devastating as Yolanda would not happen again. But if we would find ourselves in the same situation, this time, I believe the LGUs and the people are more and better prepared,” Davide said.
Since Yolanda, disaster preparedness trainings have been further strengthened in case of emergencies, Davide said.
Governor Gwen Garcia also echoed Davide’s view.
According to her, lessons have been learned from Yolanda and it reflects on the efficiency and preparedness among LGUs in dealing with subsequent natural disasters.
“The best that we can do is institute measures by which we will be able to respond in a more efficient and quick manner. You cannot control these disasters. We can only best manage our response to it,” Garcia said.
She also added that preventive measures will also be instituted like disallowing habitation in high-risk areas.
Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella, for his part, said that the Yolanda tragedy has made the city realized to be always “disaster ready,” especially that it has been already considered a calamity prone community.
“We have adopted a program for disaster preparedness and we will continue to make our officials in the city, the barangays and the constituents to be always prepared and I think we are doing that,” said Labella.
Numerous disaster preparedness programs are being conducted in the city to prepare everyone in case calamities arise.
“We are not only more equipped, especially the officials in the city and barangays of course are more prepared than before the Yolanda incident,” said Labella.
Labella also mentioned that the Yolanda was a “wake-up call” to everyone that anytime anything can happen.
Yesterday marked the sixth year since the tragedy of Super Typhoon Yolanda (international name Haiyan) that had taken thousands of lives and left tens of thousands of people homeless. —