CATARMAN, Northern Samar, (PIA) – Hundreds of stakeholders from various sectors showed up during the 1st Northern Samar Disaster Risk Reduction Summit held Wednesday at Ibabao Hall, provincial Capitol.
Provincial Governor Jose L. Ong, Jr. expressed elation as he appreciated the well-attended summit as it indicate strong commitment and common resolve to face the issue of disaster risk reduction.
In his welcome message, he said that the activity is timely. The importance of disaster preparedness planning as well as risk reduction and management cannot be overstated. Including all sectors can lead to an increased understanding among individuals and agencies and their respective roles and responsibilities.
Our local communities cannot carry the full responsibility to manage major disasters, he stressed, but they are, the first responders, so, it is important to involve them in policy making. Likewise, promoting disaster risk reduction and building resiliency must therefore also be done at the community level, if we want to have a long-term, sustained impact.
Series of orientations and lectures were presented from authorities and experts to include: Scaling Up Resilience in Governance (SURGE), Northern Samar DRR Best Practices, best practices and strategies from Solsogon and Tarangnan.
Emphasis was also pointed on the Institutionalization and funding of DRRM, RA 10121 and LDRRM Framework, LDRRMO Organization and Composition/Mandatory Creation of DRRMO Position/Position Titles, Qualification Standards and Salary Grades, Allocation and Utilization of LDRRMF, Accounting and Reporting Guidelines for LDRRM, among others.
With those talks and presentations, the governor is confident that the province with all the LGUs would be able to effectively and systematically incorporate disaster risk management and analysis into the socio-economic development and environment strategies, and the Summit in general, will inspire all stakeholders to work more for the safety and protection of the Nortehanons and the entire Eastern Visayas region.
The event ended up with a Commitment Wall Signing by stakeholders in attendance.
Present during the Summit were DILG Director Pedro Noval, Jr., 1st District Congressman Emil L. Ong, Gov. Jun Ong, Vice Gov. Gary Lavin and Sangguniang Panlalawigan members, Municipal Mayors, 803rd Brigade Commander Mario Lacurom, PNP Provincial Director Daniel Mayoni, Heads of different National and Local agencies, PDRRMC and MDRRMC’s, PLAN/SURGE, DILG Prov’l Dir. Valente Bajet and Staff, OCD, DBM and COA representatives, Red Cross, PIA ,among others.
The Summit was sponsored by the PGO-PDRRMO and partners SURGE, Christian Aid, Handicap International, Oxfam, Plan, Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection of the European Commission, DILG, DND and RDRRMC. (Adiaz/PIA N. Samar)
