Philippines: San Francisco, Cebu lead province-wide campaign for disaster preparedness
“We can expect more weather disturbances. The only thing we can do is prepare for them” said Vice Mayor Alfredo Arquillano Jr. of San Francisco, one of four towns in the Camotes Group of Islands, Cebu, Philippines. He made this statement over Pagtuki, the radio program of the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI), during a recent episode on the climate change phenomenon.
Arquillano shared his town’s comprehensive disaster preparedness program designed to make his constituents ready for typhoons, heavy rains, and other calamities. He was joined by Cliff Abraham, Department of Environment and Natural Resources administrative officer, and Engr. Oscar Tabada, regional director of the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical Astronomical Services Administration 7.
Some of the disaster risk reduction initiatives of San Francisco include setting up an early warning system that monitors the amount of rainfalls in the area through rain gauges and organization of Camotes Islands Emergency Response team mainly composed of community-based volunteers. San Francisco is one of the 79 towns and cities in the world that had adopted the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction Making Cities Resilient Campaign.
The town has also been adjudged twice as Grand Champion and Green Champion of the expanded Green and Wholesome Environment that Nurtures (EGWEN) Our Cebu Program, a five-year joint development program of RAFI and the Cebu Provincial Government. The town also implements a strict solid waste management program, maintains six marine protected areas and promotes sustainable green agriculture using organic fertilizer to ensure the food security of the residents.
San Francisco, Cebu, Philippines is now developing a land use plan that aims to identify hazardous areas in order to put in systems that will protect the people and property within and near these areas. San Francisco recently launched its 'Two Million Trees in Five Years Project' during the International Day for Disaster Reduction last October 13, 2010, which involves the collection of wildlings; bagging; planting; growing; cultivating new tree species; and providing the atmosphere with a fuller ingestion of carbon-dioxide.
“By tackling our vulnerability, we can significantly reduce the risk of disaster and we can build safer and more resilient community-led mitigation measures”, Arquillano said.
DRR Convenor Alfredo Arquillano, Jr. had done a numerous world disaster risk reduction campaign in the regional, provincial and municipal level for the past two months through speaking engagement to the various activities conducted by RAFI and government officials. He emphasized that funding is not an issue in making towns resilient to disaster, it’s about moulding the attitude of the constituents, implementers, chief executives, policy makers, investors and other stakeholders to have a deeper understanding of what is sustainable development all about.
Installing the concept that development does not requires huge amount of money, it’s a matter of how the local government maximizing existing resources to a very productive projects and most importantly is mainstreaming the DRR plan to any development form in the municipality.
He shared also to other municipality the San Francisco’s own way of preparedness by empowering the community through 'purok system' approach, (a system to guide the community to work together to attain their basic needs. The system also helps the town in carrying out its risk reduction program) and combat man made hazardous activities without jeopardizing the ecosystem and environment through proper solid waste management on which the town is being popular province wide of its strong implementation. In-line with this, the San Francisco, Philippines spearheaded the Enhancement Training on Solid Waste Management this coming December 9-10 for those municipalities who have difficulties in implementation.
Furthermore, the mayor didn’t stop his DRR awareness raising through print media publications, radio guesting, delivered DRR speeches on the open forum and group discussions with Cebu province officials on which he gained support from the president of the mayor’s league of Cebu Province by making a resolution on their support to global campaign and willingness to host the Regional Campaign for World Disaster Reduction, as one of the preparations for the future launching in Region 7, Philippines. He believes that if people are ready and have the right knowledge and information on disaster preparedness, less damage will be done.