Philippines: Public-private groups unite for Capiz disaster preparedness

Source(s): Philippine Information Agency

Roxas City, Capiz -- Government and private sectors have combined efforts, resources and commitments to build a stronger community against disaster in three Capiz towns.

Piloting for the project “Pagpakigbuylog sa Pagpangaman” is not only a great challenge but also an opportunity for the people to be united in capacity preparedness against the impacts of calamities, especially flooding.

Sapian and Pontevedra towns in Capiz are among the selected areas in Western Visayas chosen as pilot areas by the Office of the Civil Defense and the Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines (PHAP)-PHAP Cares Foundation, Inc.

Earlier, OCD Western Visayas Regional Director Rosario T. Cabrera and PHAP Cares Chief Executive Officer Reiner W. Gloor came to Capiz to launch the program and sign a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the mayors representing the two local government units.

Provincial Administrator and Legal Officer, lawyer Jose O. Villanueva, represented Capiz Governor Victor Tanco, while Lt. Col. Perfecto Peñaredondo represented Undersecretary Proceso Domingo, who heads the special concerns of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

Cabrera explained that the special project Pagpakigbuylog sa Pagpangaman (Partnership in Disaster Risk Reduction) will engage the community stakeholders in disaster risk reduction by strengthening the capacities of the pilot areas’ Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils which are considered as among the most vulnerable to the impacts of disaster in the region.

Part of the activities in realizing such goal by the OCD is increasing the resiliency to disaster of the target stakeholders through improved health services, increasing awareness of the community and local leaders on disaster risk reduction and issues on climate change, and taking strategies on disaster preparedness and climate-change adaptation as well as sustaining disaster preparedness efforts in the target areas.

Cabrera also said PHAP Cares will provide assistance as part of its social responsibility through a private-public partnership to enable the pilot areas to have better access to quality essential and life-saving medicines.

She said PHAP Cares assistance is a proactive stance on disaster preparedness, response, rehabilitation and recovery as well as prevention and mitigation that is vital to improve the resilience of communities.

The OCD likewise launched and signed a MOA for another disaster risk reduction project known as Building a Resilient and Gender Responsive Communities in Selected Hazard Prone Areas in Western Visayas for the LGU of Sigma, Capiz.

Cabrera pointed out that the implementation of the two special projects in three municipalities in Capiz is in response to Republic Act 10121, or the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010, which aims to strengthen the capacities of national and local governments together with partner stakeholders to build the disaster resilience of communities as well as institutionalize arrangements and measures to reduce disaster risk. (JCM/JBG-PIA6 Capiz)

Explore further

Hazards Flood
Country and region Philippines
Share this

Please note: Content is displayed as last posted by a PreventionWeb community member or editor. The views expressed therein are not necessarily those of UNDRR, PreventionWeb, or its sponsors. See our terms of use

Is this page useful?

Yes No Report an issue on this page

Thank you. If you have 2 minutes, we would benefit from additional feedback (link opens in a new window).