The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Region IX successfully hosted the Tapatan on Disaster Preparedness and Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) conducted last June 19, 2012 at Astoria Plaza, Grand Astoria Hotel, Zamboanga City.

The regional forum was graced by Secretary Jesse M. Robredo as guest of honor, and attended by about 500 participants from the local government units (LGUs) in the Zamboanga Peninsula Region composed of the Provincial Governors, City and Municipal Mayors, Provincial, City and Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Action Officers, Sanggunnian Panlungsod and Sanggunian Panlalawigan Committee Chairpersons on Disaster, National Government Agencies (NGAs) and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs).

Present were Zamboanga Sibugay Provincial Governor Rommel A. Jalosjos, City Mayors Celso L. Lobregat-Zamboanga City, Cherrylyn S. Akbar-Isabela City, Samuel S. Co-Pagadian City and Patri B. Chan of Dapitan City; Undersecretary Proceso T. Domingo of the Department of National Defense (DND) and Head of Special Concerns DILG IX Regional Director Paisal O. Abutazil.

Likewise present were the DILG Provincial and City Directors, Municipal Local Government Operations Officers, Members of the Regional Management Coordinating Committee (RMCC) IX and the members of the national and local media, among others.

The Tapatan on Disaster Preparedness and CCA ultimately aimed to assist the LGUs in formulating, concretizing and putting into action their Local Disaster Risk Reduction Action Plans, to encourage LGUs to organize their respective Disaster Risk Reduction Management Councils (DRRMCs) with a Disaster Risk Reduction Management Officer (DRRMO), and to actively engage the participation of CSO partners in the government disaster risk reduction programs towards the complementation of resources and effective delivery of services to the citizenry.

During the opening program, participants were warmly welcomed by host City Mayor Celso L. Lobregat, who complemented the initiatives of the DILG for conceptualizing and organizing a forum such as the Tapatan on Disaster Preparedness and CCA, and expressed support to the DILG in its effort to make LGUs disaster-resilient and calamity-ready.

Mayor Lobregat likewise presented Zamboanga City’s disaster-preparedness mitigation efforts and strategies, underscoring among others that, to be disaster-ready, an LGU must not only have the necessary equipment to respond to calamities, but more importantly, it must engage and solicit the active participation, vigilance and cooperation of the entire community.

Invited Resource Speakers from the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), Mines and Geosciences Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR-MGB), Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) and the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) presented varied subjects on disasters and CCA; Among the topics discussed were the Salient Features of R. A. 10121, the National and Regional Policy Framework Plan for Disaster and CCA, Impacts and Challenges on DRRM and Geologic Hazards and Detailed Geo Hazard Assets and Mapping.

In his “Call to Action” message to the local officials, SILG Robredo emphasized that the Department is focusing its direction in empowering the LGUs through the various programs and projects, all anchored on the tenets of transparency and accountably.

“Ang DILG ay naniniwala na dapat bigyan ng dagdag na lakas, kapangyarihan at yaman and ating mga local na pamahalaan upang magawa nila ang kanilang trabaho”, Secretary Robredo said. The DILG Chief further added that the DILG is placing its trust and confidence in the LGUs with the Seal of Good Housekeeping (SGH) as the established parameter.

On this premise, Secretary Robredo presented the Seal of Disaster Preparedness as a strategy to measure disaster-preparedness and readiness capacity of LGUs, emphasizing that the Seal of Disaster Preparedness is basically about Organizational-Institutional Capacity, Operational Readiness and Mainstreaming of Disaster Planning in the Local Development Plan.

It was further pointed out that one of the priority and focus areas of the LGUs is disaster-readiness, considering the huge impact these natural disasters and calamities create which result to casualties and damages to both lives and properties.

As a strategy of recognizing efforts and performance of LGUs, the DILG is bent on equating performance with monetary rewards through the Performance Challenge Fund (PCF), Pamana ng Lahi (GPL) among other DILG programs.

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In gist, SILG Robredo challenged the local officials to work not only for their personal gains, but rather, to strive to make a difference in the lives of the people in the community. “Hindi na maaalala ng tao kung ilang taon kang naglingkod bilang mayor, bilang gobernador. Ang maaalala nila ay kung ano ang mga nagawa mo para sa kanila,” Secretary Robredo said.

Taking advantage of the presence of Secretary Robredo, participants were provided the opportunity to present their issues and concerns and during the open forum and interfacing.

In the course of the program, the participants, specifically the local chief executives, affixed their signatures on the Disaster Preparedness and Climate Change Adaptation Pledge of Commitment, signifying strong support to the national government’s goal of making the country disaster-ready and disaster-resilient, as provided under R.A. 10121 otherwise known as the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010.

Furthermore, SILG Robredo, assisted by Regional Director Abutazil, personally awarded the Performance Challenge Fund (PCF) checks to twelve (12) recipient LGUs (1 province and 11 municipalities) in Region IX during the ceremonial turnover.

Part of the schedule of the Secretary was a press conference with the national and local members of the tri-media.

For his part, Director Abutazil, in his closing message, expressed gratitude to the participants for their attendance to the activity and for continuously supporting the initiatives of the Department through its programs, projects and activities. “Disaster is not only a concern of the DILG but of all of us. May we continue to vigorously work together for a disaster-ready Philippines”, Director Abutazil said.