THE need to strengthen communities against disasters was highlighted at yesterday’s summit where about a hundred civil society organizations from all over the country gathered to discuss challenges in disaster preparedness and climate change adaptation.
“Typhoon Yolanda showed how the varying capacities of communities and local government units were clearly a factor in saving lives. It is therefore imperative for communities, local government units, the private sector, media and other sectors to work together towards resilience,” said Maria Cagay, deputy executive director of the Center of the Disaster Preparedness.
Government’s rehabilitation efforts after supertyphoon Yolanda, Cagay said, showed “many gaps that need to be addressed.”
These gaps can be seen not only within the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010 itself but also in its implementation.
Another group, the Disaster Risk Reduction Network Philippines (DRRNetPhils) which is one of the four civil society organizations in the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), sees the need to improve risk reduction mechanisms at the national and local levels.
For Zenaida Delica Willison from a community-based group said reducing poverty also means reducing people’s vulnerability to disasters.
“We have been remiss in the reduction of vulnerability because we have not addressed poverty yet,” Willison said.
At the Civil Society Organizations Summit on Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation, the group shared their experiences with relief and rehabilitation efforts after supertyphoon Yolanda (Haiyan).
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