MANILA, Philippines – Government is already doing increased disaster preparedness initiatives to mitigate the impact of possible natural calamities that could hit Philippine communities, a Palace official said.
An international humanitarian group suggested that the country improves its disaster risk reduction and management plans to effectively cope with disasters.
“Obviously, that is something that we’re already doing, which is why we continually improve,” Deputy Presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said in a radio interview over dzRB Radyo ng Bayan on Saturday.
“Of course, we continually try to improve and refine our DRRM (disaster risk reduction and management) measures, and not just that—not just the measures—but the capabilities,” she added.
For instance, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) organized a coordination meeting for 84 barangays in Metro Manila that could be directly affected by an active fault line.
The government not just focuses on “disaster risk” but also on “reduction,” which is why concerned agencies continually improve the soft and the hard capabilities that are part of DRRM.
“We make sure that they have the funds that will quickly supplement their actions if and when a calamity hits,” Valte stressed.
Part of the initiative includes the improvement of the equipment of the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) for typhoons, and other disasters, she said.
Valte praised the performance of PAGASA for its much improved weather forecasting.
She noted that in the past typhoons that the country has experienced, PAGASA’s forecasting has gotten better and better.
“So I think that’s a given; that we, in government, are also looking to continually improve and refine measures that would help put our countrymen in less risk when it comes to natural disasters,” she said.
Gov’t continuously upgrading capability to protect communities from disasters
