The Provincial Risk Reduction Management Office (PRRMO), headed by Mr. King Webster B. Balaw-ing, Acting PDDRMO, recently concluded a benchmarking tour of various disaster risk management (DRM) organizations across the National Capital Region (NCR) and Batangas Province. The initiative is aimed to identify opportunities for improvement and enhance their success rates in disaster preparedness and response for a better DRM operations.
During the “Taripnong” press conference on June 26, 2024, Mr. Balaw-ing shared updates from their benchmarking activities, emphasizing that disaster management encompasses more than just rescue operations. “We at DRRM address four thematic pillars: the disaster prevention and mitigation, the disaster preparedness, the disaster response, and the disaster recovery and rehabilitation,” he said.
He highlighted the integral role of disaster risk management in achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs) saying, “The progress of our province as well as the entire country’s vision for sustainable development is closely tied to effective DRRM. Neglecting this could undermine all of the province’s hard work,” he stated.
The benchmarking activity, strongly supported by Governor Atty. Jose V. Gambito, was a key initiative in improving Nueva Vizcaya’s disaster management capabilities. Governor Gambito has prioritized disaster management as a core aspect of his administration, understanding that a single disaster can erase years of hard work for progress. Over the five-day benchmarking, the PDRRMO team’s first stop was at the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development in NCR. Here, they secured a commitment to conduct training on disaster risk assessment, a crucial tool for disaster planning. This initiative aligns with Governor Gambito’s vision of a well-prepared and resilient province.
Subsequent visits included the University of the Philippines Resilience Institute, which develops comprehensive DRRM programs, and the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA), responsible for mapping geographical hazards.
“We visited these important organizations because we feel the need to map out geographical hazards for us to know which group or areas in the province are most vulnerable to disasters such as floods, earthquake, etc. And it is good to note that as of this meeting, a draft Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) is already at the Provincial Legal Office for their review to partner our province with these organizations in the conduct of 5-day basic geographic information system training scheduled this August,” Mr. Balaw-ing said.
Furthering the governor’s vision, the team explored Pasig City’s DRRM structures under Mayor Vico Sotto to observe their DRRM training operation and command center where they learned about the use of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), a tool responsible for providing the public with mapmaking services. The final stop was of the DRRM office of Batangas Province, where the team examined its resilience systems. “We look forward to partnering with Batangas on this pillar of disaster management. The success stories of their resilience initiatives are truly commendable and worthy of adoption ,” Mr. Balaw-ing added.
In closing, Mr. Balaw-ing assured the people of Nueva Vizcaya of their commitment to immediate response under the leadership of Gov. Gambito who always prioritize disaster management and who believes in serving the people of Nueva Vizcaya effectively, thus concludes “With his support, we are confident in our capacity to respond quickly to any disaster.” /gpp
[This article was initially created on Facebook – Vizcaya Reporter. For PLGU-Nueva Vizcaya updates, visit: https://www.facebook.com/vizcayareporter]
