The E-Balde and Family Disaster Action Plan of Garay family. contributed photo
Pantawid Pamilya partner-beneficiaries in the Central Visayas region are now more prepared before a disaster strikes.
Through the Family Development Session (FDS), a monthly session that gathers 4Ps partner-beneficiaries, they have acquired new skills and knowledge on various topics like disaster preparedness.
In December 2014, Typhoon Queenie wreaked havoc in the Central Visayas which damaged lives and properties.
Two of the families affected by the typhoon were the Garay and the Cachero families from Can-upao, Jagna and Alejawan, Duero, Bohol.
“We could not forget Typhoon Queenie because it totally destroyed our house and it served as a lesson for us to heed the call for pre-emptive evacuation of the whole family,” Marissa Garay said in Cebuano.
As a preparation for any disaster, the Garay family has their own Emergency Balde or E-Balde, which contains important documents and basic needs of the family, which can easily be carried during evacuation.
“We also have our own Family Disaster Action Plan that will guide each member of the family on what to do when disaster occurs,” Garay added.
Mary Jane Cachero was also thankful for the learnings from the FDS and the lessons she gained during the training provided by the Barangay Disaster Response Team.
“Ako pud kini gipa-ambit sa akong bana ug sa upat nakong mga anak kay importante gyud nga kabalo ang tanan kung unsay buhaton pananglitan adunay kalamidad sama sa bagyo o linog (I also shared this with my husband and four children because it is very important that everybody in the family knows what to do whenever there is a calamity like a typhoon or an earthquake),” Cachero said.
Garay and Cachero both agreed that preparedness is important because it mitigates the effects of any disaster.
Meanwhile, the Department of Social Welfare and Development in Central Visayas (DSWD-7) joins the nation in celebrating the National Disaster Resilience Month (NDRM) for the whole month of July.
Formerly called the National Disaster Consciousness Month, the celebration was renamed to NDRM through an Executive Order No. 29 issued by President Rodrigo Duterte on June 28, 2017 and the observance highlights the shift from disaster awareness building to disaster resilience.
This year’s theme is “Katatagan sa Kalamidad ay Makakamtan Kapag Sapat ang Kaalaman sa Kahandaan.”
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