THE establishment of a Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (MDRRMO) soon in La Trinidad, Benguet is being sought.

Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management Officer Yoshio Labi said once an ordinance is approved, the town will be the first to have its established DRRM office in the Cordillera region.

“There had been memorandum, joint circulars stating there is a need for the establishment of MDRRMO in every municipality. After the Cordillera Disaster Risk Reduction meeting there is still no MDRRMO,” said Labi.

Councilor Roderick Awingan has already proposed the law creating the establishment of an MDRRMO in the valley.

The establishment of the MDRRMO is inclined to national mandate in 2010 wherein municipalities and provinces in the country started to establish DRRM position.

Under the proposed law, the MDRRMO will be composed of a department head, admin and training chief, research and planning, operations and warning and DRRM Assistant.

The MDRRMO will be tasked to set direction, development and coordination of disaster risk reduction and management programs of the valley.

During the public consultation on April 3, Awingan added the problem for the creation of the office is subject to personal services limitation of the local government.

“We have surpassed the personnel limitation and we cannot create a new position,” he said. However, the lawmaker said they can create the work positions subject to available fund.

The funding of the MDRRMO will come from the five percent of the general fund of the municipality amounting to some P18M the same that of the municipal engineering office fund.