CDRRMO lays out future disaster risk reduction management plans
As the disaster escalates and threats persist, rippling positive change has always been a challenge for the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO).
To bridge the gap, many projects and activities have already been undertaken and future disaster risk reduction management plans are now being in place by the CDRRMO under the leadership of Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer Cyrus Jose Urbano to increase the CDRMMC’s capacity through disaster reduction actions and initiatives.
In an interview with Urbano, he highlighted the four areas of disaster management to include preparedness, mitigation and prevention, disaster response and rehabilitation.
Part of the office’s future plan is to complete its organizational structure with three sections in order to professionalize its human resource capacity. Part of their grand plan is also to establish an in-house or organic response team that can operate and respond 24/7. “We hope to establish a 24/7 911 hotline, similar to those in Davao and Olongapo, so that whenever there is a call, they can easily be deployed, and on which we can also rely on our collaboration with other volunteer organizations and national government agencies,” Urbano said.
Meanwhile, Urbano boasted that the CDRRM office and operation center would soon become a reality, saying, “We thank our City Mayor for approving the 8 million budget, as well as our SP, which is why the two-story building and operation center were approved. The first year’s budget is 8 million pesos, followed by another 8 million pesos to complete the two-story building”.
As part of the long-term plan, Urbano hopes to establish more partnerships with Civil Society Organizations (CSO) and other volunteer organizations by currently working on the signing of memorandum of agreement with pharmacies and hospitals.
Furthermore, Urbano promised to continue empowering the BDRRMC to improve community preparedness as part of the six areas of barangay empowerment. They also intend to increase training and provide guidance in order to encourage community participation in preparedness efforts.
Meanwhile, Urbano believes that manpower complement is critical in achieving their goal. “I always instill in our employees the importance of knowing a little bit about everything. I tell them that wherever they are assigned, they will coexist; that is our office mantra, especially in disaster management,” Urbano stressed.
On the other hand, Urbano encourages the public to use Korona 911 in times of emergencies and disasters. To connect, Globe/TM subscribers can dial 911 directly, while other networks can dial 310-2000 up to 2005 which has 5 trunk lines.
Meanwhile, Urbano urges the public to be cautious and do their share, emphasizing that prevention is better than cure.