DILG 13 to host reg'l forum on DRR-CCA river basin collaboration

Sunday 5th of August 2012

BUTUAN CITY, Aug. 5 (PIA) -- The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Region 13 will host the “Regional Forum on Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR)” for the Agusan River Basin Collaborative Workshop on August 23 at Almont Hotel’s Inland Resort, Butuan City.

The topic will be on how to build disaster-free and resilient local government units (LGUs) along the major river basin (MRB).

Through the Local Government Academy (LGA) in partnership with Agencia Espanola de Cooperacion Internacional para el Desarrollo (AECID), the workshop will provide a venue to build proactive communities focused on harmonized efforts and ladderized initiatives to effectively address the threats of disasters and climate change.

This regional forum is spearheaded by Senator Loren Legarda in connection to her proposed Philippine River Basin System Administration Act of 2012, which would operationalize the efforts of LGUs along the Agusan River Basin to initiate efforts in climate change adaptation and disaster readiness.

Senator Legarda will be coming to Butuan City to discuss the purpose of LGU convergence and river basin management in Agusan River with waters flowing from identified LGUs in Region 11.

Lilibeth A. Famacion, vice-chairperson for Disaster Preparedness of the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) said that the regional forum will pave the way for cooperation among LGUs to prepare communities for disasters.

Participating in this workshop are local chief executives of selected LGUs in Region 13 and Region 11, Sangguniang Bayan/Panlungsod/Panlalawigan – Chair on Environment, Provincial/City/Municipal Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) federation presidents, P/C/M Liga ng mga barangay presidents, disaster risk reduction and management officers, Regional Development Council (RDC) members, and the private sectors composed of the non-government organizations, civil society organizations, academic institutions, church representatives, and the business sectors.

In Region 13, the LGUs included are the municipalities of Bunawan, Esperanza, La Paz, Loreto, Prosperidad, Rosario, San Francisco, San Luis, Sibagat, Talacogon, Trento, and Bayugan City of Agusan del Sur province; and the Municipalities of Buenavista and Las Nieves, including Butuan City of Agusan del Norte province.

While in Region 11, the identified LGUs are the municipalities of Compostella, Monkayo, Montevista, Nabunturan, New Bataan, Pantukan, San Mariano, and San Vicente of Compostella Valley province and the municipalities of Boston and Cateel of Davao Oriental province.

The above-mentioned target participants are those that already have working knowledge on the basics of DRR and CCA.

They will converge to arrive at a common action agenda in crafting a roadmap for creating a dynamic river basin, which will mitigate and prevent disasters and at the same time protect the communities living in those affected areas. (NCLM/Florian Faith Jr. P. Bayawa, DILG-13/PIA-Caraga)