|
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Group backs Candaba disaster management
By Joel P. Mapiles
CANDABA --- The Pampanga Disaster Response Network, Inc. (PDRNI), a non-government organization, is now supporting the efforts of the Municipal Government to strengthen the disaster management system particularly in four target barangays.
This developed as the PDRN provided to the Barangay Disaster Coordinating Councils (BDCC) of San Agustin, Bambang, Gulap, and Sto. Rosario four motorboats for surveillance and search and rescue operations during emergencies.
PDRN executive director Esteban Masagca said the organization will also conduct disaster monitoring, assessment, and emergency operations if necessary to complement with efforts of other stakeholders and lessen the potential impact of disasters to the lives of vulnerable families and communities.
The turnover of disaster equipment and signing of memorandum of agreement (MOA) between the PDRN and the concerned BDCCs was witnessed by Mayor Jerry Pelayo and Neri Amparo, regional director of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD).
Pelayo expressed his gratitude for the show of support and concern of the PDRN and the OCD, particularly in disaster preparedness and control efforts of the local government.
He said that through the collaborative efforts of the BDCC and the Municipal Disaster Coordinating Council (MDCC) during times of calamity, the town has easily survived the perennial flooding with zero casualties as they have also motivated the residents to become resilient and self-reliant.
Masagca said PDRN is now implementing in the town their program on capacity building support, which is meant to continuously organize, train and mobilize target communities that would strengthen the overall capacity in facing disaster events.
The PDRN would also help address poverty-related issues such as livelihood, public health, and participatory local governance.
"Capacity building support shall be sustained while extending its efforts to support barangay councils in running its affairs, specifically the functioning of respective disaster coordinating councils and Barangay Development Councils (BDCs) which is geared to increase understanding on the relationship between disasters, poverty and development of various sectors," Masagca explained.
Other PDRN's strategic program components that would be implemented here this year are development of economic project, social services, policy advocacy and continuous institutional development of the PDRN cognizant with the mainstreaming of gender issues.
(July 18, 2006 issue)
Write letter to the editor. Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board. Click here. |
|
[return to top]
[home]
[network page]
|
LOCAL NEWS
BUSINESS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFESTYLE
FEATURE
|
