THE Provincial Government, in partnership with non-government organizations and disabled persons’ organizations, will launch the Cebu Disability Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction Network (CDIDRRN) on Oct. 16.
The event will highlight the need to give more attention to persons with disabilities (PWDs) during calamities.
Julius Regner, information officer of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, said PWDs are one of the vulnerable sectors during disasters.
Through the CDIDRRN, Regner said, the PWDs will be prioritized by community when calamities are approaching.
Erlinda Parame, project coordinator of A2D Project-Research Group for Alternatives to Development Inc., said the launching of the CDIDRRN is in line with the celebration of the International Day for Disaster Reduction on Oct. 13.
3 groups
“This is a coalition of different organizations working on DRR and disability. So we divided the network into three groups -- government organizations, civil society organizations and disabled persons organizations,” Parame said.
After the launching of the CDIDRRN at the Capitol Grounds, a forum will be held at the Arts and Sciences conference hall of University of the Philippines-Cebu.
The Handicap International will talk about disability and DRR.
Joining the event are 250 PWDs.
Regner said they teach local government units how to locate sitios and puroks where there are PWDs.
“Once naay kalamidad moabot, sila ang i-priority nga kuhaon ug una unyang ihatod sa mga lig-on nga evacuation centers (When a calamity is approaching, the PWDs should be prioritized during relocation),” he said.
Structure
The government and NGOs aim to make PWDs part of the DIDRR structure.
Regner said it would be better if PWDs are given attention by the time Republic Act 10121, or the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010, will be reviewed.
Aloysius Cañete, executive director of A2D Project, said NGOs and the Government will pull out their resources together to make this activity happen.
Cañete said the LGUs should review their early warning systems when there are calamities like typhoons.
“Kinahanglan ang information maabot sa ilaha (Information about a disaster must reached the PWDs) in a timely manner kay kung di maglisod sila’g evacuate (because if not, it would be hard for them to evacuate),” he said.