CELEBRATION of the National Disaster Preparedness Month will focus on addressing hydro meteorological hazards in the region during the typhoon season.
Albert Mogol, Office of the Civil Defense (OCD)-Cordillera and Cordillera Disaster Regional Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC), said they are currently working on a regional plan for hydro meteorological hazards and how to respond to such problem.
The plan has the following components starting with hydrometeorological Devices in hard-hit areas in the Philippines through the installation of automated rain gauges (ARG) and water level monitoring stations (WLMS) in the region that will provide a better picture of the regions surface water in relation to flooding.
Included in the plan is the Landslide Sensors Development Project and Local Development of Doppler Radar Systems (LaDDeRS), among others, related to effects of a typhoon in the region.
"At present, the Cordillera Region has prepositioned it's family food packs in all the provinces and cities in CAR spearheaded by the Department of Social Welfare and Development. We now have a multi-front approach where while you are dealing with pandemic, you are also preparing for the typhoon and hopefully not an earthquake, although we already have an earthquake preparedness plan where it indicates the protocols to be done in such an incident," Mogol added.
Mogol pointed out the importance of having contingency plans for various situations in the region such as the consequence management plan for terrorism, and the ongoing Cordillera response plan for pandemics and emerging infectious diseases.
CDRRMC also reminded the public to always be informed of announcements given by the national government on incoming typhoons and impending disasters through the emergency broadcast system to increase the level of awareness.