MANY who survived the onslaught of the pandemic believed that everything will slowly return to normal. But to thousands of Visayans, especially Negrosanon in the southern towns and cities recently ravaged by the ruthless Typhoon Odette, life has just been worsened.
Ironically, their pains, griefs and desperation with life, serve as a grim reminder to all especially local government units (LGUs) about the challenge of resiliency.
Now and then, LGUs are hit by disasters like floods, fires, landslides, earthquakes, volcanic eruption, terrorist attacks often causing mass dislocation and evacuation, destruction of properties, loss of lives–often in their most unguarded moments.
Unfortunately, this is something a number of LGUs have not given comprehensive planning despite the integration of climate change and disaster risk management in local development planning and response systems.
Well, this should be taken as one of the core priorities of the LGU. Disaster risk reduction is a governance and management concern. Its core mission is to develop resiliency to prevent the loss of lives, damages to properties, and preservation of human-ecosystems in times of disaster or calamities.
Resiliency is one of the basic characteristics of a well-organized and well-governed city or urban center or even a simple rurban community. Resiliency is the capacity to bounce back quickly and effectively after occurrence of a disaster or calamity, natural or human-induced.
The capacity to restore power, water, order, shelter, basic socio-economic services, order and governance functions after a disaster brought by fire, flood, typhoon, earthquake, pandemic or a terror attack -- defines one’s resiliency.
But resiliency is not just capacity to bounce back from disaster, but capacity to prevent disaster from occurring, or if at all unavoidable, prevent it from wreaking havoc.
Resiliency therefore is the sum total of various capacities for scientific based forecasting and analysis, prevention, bouncing back and development.
Thus the more one is resilient, the better and faster it can prevent and recover from disaster regardless of its intensity and extent.
Resiliency however is not developed overnight.
It is the result of a long and painstaking process of harnessing and synchronizing capacities, perseverance and commitment, logistics, technologies with the right and timely strategic and tactical planning from intensive analysis of the changing climate and weather conditions and patterns using the right mix of scientific instruments and human instincts.
Equally important in LGU’s efforts to build its resiliency is the all-rounded preparedness of communities, sectors and institutions especially those with high vulnerabilities, risks and hazards factors.
Those living in flood, landslides and tsunami-prone zones; those in coastal zones; within the perimeter of active volcanoes; those in densely populated slums with poorly built and highly hazardous materials; those in use of electric facilities extensively without adequate knowledge and skills in preventive use and maintenance; those in zones where gang wars occur frequently; those in communities where armed conflicts occur intermittently.
These are areas that need special focus in disaster risks reduction management. These are areas where people are the first and decisive responders. Therefore they should have adequate training and support in the work.
Without well-prepared communities, sectors and institutions, local governments, no matter how adequate their resources and capacities are, will still be helpless when the people don’t do anything, or do the opposite during a calamity.
Therefore, our communities, sectors and institutions must have a continuing orientation and up to date planning in disaster and risk preparedness, capacity development, and continuing anti disaster drill sessions.
In this regard, I personally commend the City of Bacolod under Leonardia administration for its readiness 24/7 in prevention, patrolling and operations against disasters.
Under the baton of his veteran and ever energetic CDRRMO executive assistant, Joemarie Vargas, the people of Bacolod can expect the city government’s resiliency in dealing with all kinds of disaster to grow each year.
Kudos!