The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) recently convened select members of the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) to craft the Regional Disaster Preparedness Plan (RDPP).
“The primary goal of preparedness is to avert the loss of lives and assets due to threats and emergencies. While essentially implementation of preparedness is before any hazard or any disaster strikes, preparedness outcomes straddle in pre-disaster, disaster, and post-disaster phases based on existing definitions,” Office of Civil Defense OIC-Regional Director and RDRRMC Chairperson Nigel Lontoc said.
DILG leads its crafting being the council’s Vice Chair for Preparedness per Republic Act 10121 otherwise known as the Philippine DRRM Act of 2010.
Anchored on the National and Regional DRRM Plans, the National DDP, and existing DRR-related policies, the RDPP has seven key components namely Information, Education, Campaigns (IEC); Capacity Building; DRRM Localization; Risk Assessments and Plans; Preparedness for Emergency and Disaster Response; Continuity of Essential Services; and Partnerships.
“Tasks of the IEC team include preparation of Information Integration Platform with those gathered from RDRRMC member-agencies and stakeholders; and preparation of multiple-hazard, hazard-specific, and ecosystems-based preparedness, DRRM, and Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) materials,” Lontoc disclosed.
Moreover, Capacity Building covers trainings, simulations, drills, and other activities sustaining education, research, and publication in DRRM and CCA to develop knowledge, skills, attitudes, systems, and mechanisms that reduce vulnerabilities and help various stakeholders to cope with hazards.
DRRM Localization secures functional and operational institutions in the event of threats and emergencies while Risk Assessments and Plans prepares multiple scenario-based contingency plans covering preparedness and response, integrated assessment tools and guidance for operations, and integrated tools for assessment, coordination, and deployment search, rescue, and retrieval among others.
Preparedness for Emergency and Disaster Response, on the other hand, ensures functional and responsive systems that are well resourced and ready to respond in the event of threats and emergencies by securing resources.
“Continuity of Essential Services enable the continuity of essential service delivery through preparation of operations and continuity plans while Partnerships enhance coordination, complementation, interoperability of DRRM institutions and systems, and participation of stakeholders in DRRM work to secure that communities are able to anticipate, cope with, and recover from threats and emergencies,” Lontoc explained.