PAGADIAN CITY (PIA) – Around 70 Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officers (LDRRMO) from all over the provinces of Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga del Norte, and Zamboanga Sibugay convened recently during the Regional Disaster Resilience Summit on August 8, 2023 in Pagadian City.
Part of the summit is a series of topics relevant to El Nino, its adverse effects in the society and including its mitigation and preparedness.
Alvin Rex M. Lucero of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG)-9 presented the Enhanced Listo Protocol and El Niño preparation.
Enhanced Listo Protocol is an advocacy program that informs local government units (LGU) on necessary disaster preparedness actions. Along with this protocol is a manual, which aims to standardize local protocols and platforms for early preparedness, response, and monitoring duties.
The manual contains a set of critical preparedness actions categorized into three the Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie. These categories are divided into four timeframes upon alert, before, during and after the disaster.
Additionally, the enhanced Listo program comprises three integral components: Risk Assessment Mapping, Community Empowerment, and pre-Disaster preparedness drills.
Overall, one of the main objectives of enhanced Listo protocol is to bolster coordination and streamline communication among stakeholders.
Lucero also highlighted the mandate of the enhanced Listo, which is to make use of a modernized early warning system to provide timely and accurate information.
“Ang mandate under the operation listo is that you have to slowly shift into modernizing your early warning system to provide timely and accurate information,” he said.
Meanwhile, Atty. Ruel S. Halanes of the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD)-9 discussed on the Expanded Roadmap for Addressing the Impact of El Nino (E-RAIN).
With the high regard of El Nino preparedness in the country, the government has adapted the E-RAIN, which has five major areas of concern these are food security, energy security, water security, health security and public security.
Atty. Halanes underscores the Presidential guidance in terms of El Nino preparedness, “According to the president, you must adopt a Whole-of-Nation and Whole-of-Government approach”, he said.
Further, Atty. Halanes gives emphasis on the formulation of a comprehensive disaster preparedness and rehabilitation plan for El Nino. Atty. Halanes also highlighted the need to intensively monitor the implementation of the plan and heighten the conduct of information, education and communication campaign. (RVC/SBM/PIA9-Zamboanga del Sur)
