CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga — The provincial government of Pampanga, through its Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), recently held its Multi-Hazard Disaster Summit at the Kingsborough International Convention Center.
“Due to the unpredictable nature of disasters, we now face new hazards that we need to prepare for. This is our primary objective in the conduct of this multi-hazard disaster summit. We want to gather our stakeholders so that we all can learn from the experts in this field on how these various hazards may affect our province,” PDRRMO head Angie Blanco said.
Blanco said that the summit is a way of raising awareness, especially at the grassroots level, about the nature of these hazards, their impact to individuals and communities, and what we should do to prepare for and mitigate their destructive effects.
For his part, Vice Governor Dennis Pineda said that summits like this are held annually to prepare for the disasters that can strike the province.
“I know we cannot avoid it, especially if it’s natural. But we can fight it if we are ready and if our local officials are united.
Pineda stressed that proper coordination and unity are crucial in times of disaster because through these, we can overcome any disaster and avoid deaths among Kapampangans.
The summit featured audio-visual presentations about the current state of the province when it comes to different natural and man-made hazards. It also included lectures on the Impacts of the Big One to the Province of Pampanga, Climate Outlook and Preparations for the Rainy Season, Updates on the Status of Flood Mitigation Structures in Pampanga, Actions on Anti-Terrorism, and Disaster Preparedness Programs and Activities of the PDRRMC.
This was attended by barangay officials, mayors, board members, representatives from the academe and business sector, and PDRRMC member-agencies.