Philippines: Aklan bracing for Typhoon Chedeng

PIA press release by Venus G. Villanueva

Kalibo, Aklan - Local government units (LGUs) in Aklan should invest time and effort to reduce disaster risks in their respective areas.

This advice came from the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) here in the wake of typhoons and other natural calamities affecting the country year-round.

The country is currently bracing for Typhoon Chedeng, which is expected to slam some parts of the country while rendering other areas rainy and cloudy.

Galo Ibardolaza, PDRRMC-Aklan Executive Officer said that although several municipalities have already availed of basic trainings on disaster preparedness and on search and rescue, LGUs should pair this with life-saving equipments, purchased through their calamity fund.

“Skills obtained from the trainings will be useless if there are no equipments to use during the advent of calamities, natural or man-made,” Ibardolaza said.

Ibardolaza said LGus have 5% Calamity Fund from their budget, 70% of this to be used to purchase equipments while the 30% will be kept as standby funds.

The PDRRMC has just recently conducted a Basic Training on Search and Rescue in the town of Balete while Madalag has already coordinated with Ibardolaza for a 3-day training June of this year.

In coordination too with the PDRRMC, the Aklan Police Provincial Office (APPO) has conducted an Enhancement Training on Search and Rescue for its personnel.

This is necessary, according to the PDRRMC, because the police are always the first responders during calamities.

It is also essential for LGUs to train “first responders” to save lives, especially in the case of far-flung municipalities, the PDRRMC stressed. (JCM/GV PIA 6 Aklan)