San Nicolas LGU conducts disaster preparedness campaign to local folks

By Carlo P. Canares

Thursday 19th of July 2012

LAOAG CITY, July 19 (PIA) -- The municipal government of San Nicolas in Ilocos Norte is going to the barangays to train village folks on disaster preparedness as part of its campaign in observance of National Disaster Consciousness Month (NDCM).

Ryan Rollaine Simon of the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said the training aims to increase the people’s preparedness for their safety in times of calamities or disasters.

However, Simon said, rather than limiting the training to barangay officials and conducting it at the Municipal Centennial Hall, the local government headed by Mayor Alfredo Valdez Jr. decided to do it in the barangays.

San Nicolas has 24 barangays.

“Mayor Valdez and the MDRRMC opted to bring the trainings to the barangays to involve not just the officials but the people themselves. This way, they would receive first-hand information from us,” Simon said.

During the training, the people will be taught on the basis for observance of the NDCM; what to prepare and do in the event of a disaster and during evacuation; basic life support; and rescue operations, among others.

Aside from the disaster-preparedness training, the MDRRMC will also hold a poster and slogan making contest on July 20.

“There will be one representative each from the 11 elementary schools and three representatives each from the three high schools in the town,” Simon said.

The theme for the contest shall be in consonance with the theme for this year’s NDCM,– “Ligtas na Bayan, Maunlad na Pamayanan.”

“The contest is part of our education campaign on disaster-preparedness particularly for the youth,” Simon said. (ANL/CPC-PIA 1 Ilocos Norte)