The Office of Civil Defense (OCD), in collaboration with various government agencies, is continuously implementing interventions to strengthen the disaster preparedness of the country.
Among the priorities are ensuring infrastructure resilience and the availability of adequate disaster response resources nationwide.
As part of the effort to realize these, Civil Defense Administrator, Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno has directed the regional offices of OCD to ensure the availability of an updated list of critical facilities alongside the inspection report of the integrity of the structures in coordination with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and other concerned agencies.
The memorandum order issued by Nepomuceno to OCD regional directors, cited the desired outcome no. 3 of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plan (NDRRMP) 2020-2030 under the Prevention and Mitigation pillar, which states the need for an "increased structural integrity of housing, building, and critical infrastructure.”
The undersecretary also instructed the regional directors to submit reports of the available rescue assets including but not limited to rescue vehicles like rubber boats, heavy rescue equipment; water filtration machines, and information and communication equipment; among others.
“We asked our OCD regional directors to coordinate with relevant agencies regarding the list and integrity of critical facilities as well as to have an inventory of all disaster response assets. This is part of our continuous readiness assessment.” Nepomuceno said.
“We need those data as we further identify and plan for the implementation of necessary interventions and strategies. The role of our regional disaster managers from various government agencies is very crucial. We need to work together in strengthening the preparedness of our country against the threat of disasters. Prevention and mitigation and preparedness should always come first.” he added.
Earlier this year, OCD senior officials met to discuss the modernization and strengthening of the country's civil defense and DRRM capabilities. The dialogue highlighted the importance of a clear direction for the effective prioritization of programs and the identification of appropriate strategies
OCD as the executive arm of the NDRRMC, is mandated to administer a comprehensive national civil defense and DRRM program by providing leadership in the continuous development of strategic and systematic approaches
The agency’s central office regularly coordinates with its regional counterparts on various matters concerning the strengthening of DRRM across the country. (PR)