Philippines: Makati re-echoes disaster training to city, barangay personnel
Makati city -- After leading other countries in the World Bank-funded disaster resiliency sharing in Kathmandu, Nepal recently, the local government has been sharing its learning and model templates with city and barangay officials, a statement in the city's website said.
Under the Global Facility for Disaster Risk Reduction City-to-City Sharing Initiative or GFDRR C2CSI, the participating cities are expected to share what they've learned in risk sensitive land use planning, emergency management and public awareness campaign, and serve as international and regional resource centers with other cities in their respective countries and regions.
Under the C2CSI, the cities of Makati, Kathmandu and Quito in Ecuador have partnered to share their best practices and enhance their disaster resiliency and mitigation practices. The first study visit and residency training were held in Quito last November 2011.
It said that this is part of the "cascading the learning of the cities," by re-echoing seminars in their respective local governments, as what they had done after the Quito, Ecuador study visit and residency training.
The first Makati re-echo seminar held recently was attended by around 65 participants from the different offices and departments of the city government, the City Councilors and their staff, the barangay Rescue Teams, the Barangay Chairpersons and barangay staff, Ospital ng Makati-ER, DepEd-Makati and Security Force.
The Makati delegates, GFDRR Secretariat, and LUP and KM specialists conducted a successful cascading of learning. At least 30 local government personnel should become members of the core group and participate in re-echo seminars and workshops to be facilitated by GFDRR and Makati delegates to bring knowledge, learning and skills to a broader base of individuals who would work and campaign for disaster resiliency.
Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay said that it would take multi-sectoral involvement to effectively mitigate the impact of disasters upon cities and prepare the people for the devastation they may bring.
It is not only the government, its officials and the experts who should know about the plans and programs, but also the people who will be most affected by disasters, he added.
“The government is obliged to cascade such knowledge and initiatives to the people in common terms and languages that they can understand, and make them recognize the impending threat and act to ensure their preparedness,” Binay said.
The last leg of the C2CSI study and residency training will be held in Makati in April 2012.
(ICRD/RJB/JCP-PIA NCR)