The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) of Mountain Province pledges to further boost its DRRM system by updating its Contingency Plan on a specific hazard.
On March 7 to 9, the Mt Province DRRMC holds the Contingency Planning Formulation Workshop (CPFW) in Sagada, Mountain Province.
The Office of Civil Defense Cordillera (OCD-CAR) is invited to provide technical assistance and guide the local council in enhancing its contingency plan which is also in line with the institutionalization of the proactive DRRM approach. It aims to guide the participants to properly utilize the contingency plan as part of their disaster preparations.
The contingency plan needs to be updated to synchronize the disaster response plan to the changing situations of the environment. It includes all the available resources that can and cannot be utilized in disaster response.
The specific hazard or scenario will be identified during the workshop which will be their basis in accomplishing the eight contingency plan forms. These forms intend to develop response strategy, establish command and control, identify the clusters, needs and activities inventory, resource inventory, and needs projection and gap identification.
“For a good plan is our roadmap that shall at least ensure the safety of lives we shall be handling. We do not pray for calamity but it is real and it occurs when we least expect it,” said Atty. Edward Chumawar, Mt Province DRRM officer during his opening message.
“For us to achieve optimum performance, we must also have passion for our tasks; without love for work, we will not be able to savor the fruits of our sacrifices,” he added.
The Contingency Planning is one of the DRRM tools that is widely used in the country to address different kinds of impending hazards. It is a forward planning and scenario-based process that intends to ensure the achievement of safer, adaptive and disaster-resilient communities towards sustainable development.
By Rozienna G. Rosales