WHILE Filipinos have been known to be resilient when struck with either man-made or natural disaster -- earthquakes, typhoons, flooding, and fires, among others -- there is still a long way to go when it comes to disaster preparedness.
Many countries are clearly advanced on dealing with disasters.
Here in Davao City, we are blessed to have a local government unit that invests heavily on disaster preparedness. Whether its fire or extreme flooding in some parts on the city, the disaster response team of the city has always delivered great results.
The agencies whose concern is in disaster response have also constantly doing their best to constantly educate the public on disaster preparedness. It is commendable to note that both the private and public sectors have created ways to teach the young to be prepared in dealing with disasters.
Earlier this month, the Tambayan Center for Children's Rights, a non-government organization (NGO), trained 35 children to be ambassadors of disaster risk reduction and children protection in Davao City.
Nagkahiusang Kabataan Aron Katungod Matagamtam (Nakamata), also a children's rights advocate NGO, is having the youth reach out to their peers to educate them on disaster preparedness.
The Department of Education has also included in its curriculum disaster preparedness. Students are not only taught how to deal with disasters but also how to do first aid.
For the Philippines to be resilient against disaster, there is a need for us to nurture the younger generation. We are on track on becoming a community that is prepared for any disaster as we nurture the young. We just have to ensure that they are constantly reminded about it and never forget about it.