8-point agenda on disaster reduction mulled

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

PARTICIPANTS to the two-day Mindanao Summit on Disaster Risk Reduction and Geo-hazard Awareness held in Cagayan de Oro over the weekend came up and agreed on an eight-point agenda that would reduce risk to disasters in the island.

The eight-point agenda includes knowledge, emergency preparedness and response, adoption and implementation of disaster risk reduction and management plans, strict enforcement of laws, ecosystem-based approach, national legislation, setting up of institutional mechanisms and implementation of innovative capacity building.

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Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III said the eight-point agenda will serve as a tool for the participants, especially the local government units (LGUs) from different regions, to return in their areas with better ideas on how to mitigate the effects of natural disasters in their communities and to prevent man-made disasters.

CAGAYAN DE ORO. City Mayor Vicente Emano (2nd from right) is seen here attending the 1st Mindanao Summit on Disaster Risk Reduction and Geo-hazard Awareness held over the weekend in the city. With him are some city and provincial officials. (Joey P. Nacalaban)

Pimentel said the agenda was agreed based on the recognized disasters that are prone to occur in Mindanao, be it natural and human-induced, such as earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, landslides, extreme weather events such as droughts, typhoons, excessive rainfall, sea level rise, storm surges, flooding, flash floods, human-induced environmental disasters, forest and other fires, and armed conflicts.

City Councilor Roger Abaday said he is hoping that Cagayan de Oro Mayor Vicente Emano will be very serious in strictly implementing the things discussed in the summit to prevent any casualties in the future.

“I hope the result of the summit will be a priority of the city government. The people should also become transparent and accountable for the donations given by the different sectors,” Abaday said.

He said the City Government should really give attention and organize the DRR Management Council.

Cagayan de Oro Archbishop Antonio Ledesma said the summit will be the beginning for watershed protection all over Mindanao.

With the crafting of the eight-point agenda, the participants agreed to work together to implement the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010, the Climate Change Act of 2009, the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Action Plan and the National Climate Change Action Plan.

“We commit to collaborate closely and effectively with each other to coordinate our efforts on capacity building for disaster risk reduction, preparedness, relief, rehabilitation, reconstruction and resettlement,” the participants said in their manifestation.

The two-day summit was attended by mayors, vice mayors, congressional representatives, barangay officials and representatives from the academe, church, private agencies and non-government organizations in Mindanao.