Masbate preps for disasters

Thursday 2nd of February 2012

MASBATE CITY, Feb. 3 (PIA)-- Masbateños may have no choice but to face more natural calamities as the effects of climate change become more and more pronounced.

Fortunately there are a number of measures now being implemented by the city government to deal with disasters, according to Mayor Socrates M. Tuason.

One evidence is that the city has mapped out its short- and medium-term strategies to prepare the city for disasters such as typhoons and earthquakes; this is embodied in the disaster risk reduction and management plan for 2011-2015, drafted by the city hall together with line agencies and the 30 barangay councils in the city, according to city planning officer Rowena Tuason.

For one, at least 5 percent of the city government’s budget for the period 2011-2015 has been allotted to finance the plan. That would translate to annual calamity fund of roughly P14 million.

The city government, Tuason added, will also set up a command post for the local disaster risk reduction and management council (LDRRMC).

The short-term measures are meant to address the problems on equipment and basic tools in disaster risk reduction, he said.

Over the medium-term, the city government plans to strictly enforce the comprehensive land use policy to better protect communities against increasing and more severe climate-related hazards.

The city planning officer expounded on this last Tuesday, during the meeting of LDRRMC in which the minutes of the adoption and approval of the five-year plan and the 2012 plan were approved.

“We are looking at what we need to strengthen in order to protect our people’s lives and economic and social assets,” she said. (MAL/EADelgado, PIA masbate)