UNWFP launches Disaster Preparedness and Response Project Phase II in Benguet

By Susan Aro

Saturday 13th of October 2012

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet, Oct 13 (PIA) -- The Disaster Preparedness and Response Project Phase II under the United Nations World Food Programme (UNWFP) is all set to expand to two towns in the province.

The good results of the Phase I UNWFP- funded project on disaster preparedness and response propelled the second wave of the project to include the municipalities of Kibungan and Kapangan.

Michelle McGonagle, UNWFP-Philippines Disaster Preparedness and Response (DPR) coordinator, said the results of the DPR Phase I project in partnership with the province and the local governments of Tublay and Atok, were encouraging.

The DPR project was an offshoot of their feeding operations during the disaster wrought by typhoon Pepeng in 2009.

McGonagle said UNWFP looks forward to work with partners in the Phase II of the project involving P20 million in accomplishing activities until April 2013.

These include additional technical trainings, contingency plans, needs assessment and logistics, establishment of emergency response teams, establishment of Incident Command System (ICS), strengthening of early warning and communication system, installation of weather stations, IEC campaigns to raise community awareness, and provision of key emergency equipment.

Team of experts from the University of the Philippines - Baguio will enhance stakeholders’ capability in utilizing rainfall threshold in the landslide early warning system in the municipality of Tublay.

Jaime V. Ongpin Foundation, Inc. will support the four LGUs in strengthening institutional and community capacities to plan and implement disaster risk reduction management strategies integrating disaster preparedness, mitigation, and recovery.

Component projects per area are as follows: Province – Augmenting Institutional Capacity to Raise Awareness; Atok – Strengthening Capacity and Enhancing the Resilience; Tublay – Developing Early Warning Systems and Establishing a Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council; Kapangan – Strengthening Institutional Capacity and Engaging Barangay Emergency Responders; and Kibungan – Strengthening the Municipal DRRM Council on DPR.

In the first wave of the project, the province was able to strengthen Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Council through capacity building and contingency and strategic planning, developed provincial emergency operations guide, established Incident Command System (ICS), and developed ICS manual.

For Tublay and Atok, agro-forestry projects were implemented such as tree planting activities, establishment of nurseries for planting materials, planting of vetiver grass for stabilizing slopes and reduction of the occurrence of landslides.

McGonagle believes that the active involvement of partners is the key to the success of the project.

Other institutional partners of the Phase II project are the Australian Aid, United States Aid and Department of Social Welfare and Development.

Governor Nestor Fongwan, who was on top of the disaster operations in 2009, acknowledged the need for additional resources in pushing for the project, saying that getting more help would mean saving more lives.

McGonagle recounted that UNWFP’s mission was to feed the hungry during disaster operations but soon realized in working across the globe that the people who are most hungry are those affected by natural and man-made disasters.

UNWFP now has committed to reduce the risk of these disasters and build government and communities to be prepared and to respond to these disasters.

The aim is to implement small scale high impact projects to mitigate specific climate change-related risks, build resilience and manage response to natural disasters, and boost the government’s technical capabilities.

UNWFP has also projects among disaster prone areas in the Luzon such as Laguna, Sorsogon and Cagayan. (JDP/SCA- PIA CAR,Benguet)