Dumaguete Diocese launches disaster preparedness project

CEBU, Philippines - The Diocese of Dumaguete has launched Project IMPACT in collaboration with Smart Telecommunications, local government units and disaster risk reduction management councils.

Project IMPACT is a follow-through of the first project to prepare for any calamities and disasters with El Niña expected to come from this month up to February next year.

Father Burton Villarmente, director of the diocese’s Social Action Center, stressed the need for church people and their leaders in different sitios, puroks and barangays to be knowledgeable enough on how to respond to calamities and disasters.

They could be the first responders and people come to them for help as authorities in their respective areas, said Villarmente.

He said, if government has a structure in each of the barangays all over the country and the province, the diocese has people down to the remotest sitios. In one barangay there could be five or more chapels that has a complete set of officers and members, he said.

Project IMPACT is a paradigm of the social teachings of the Church which is “See, Judge and Act.” Organizers said participants must immerse during workshops about different emergency situations and then taught how to prepare, prevent and act accordingly based on the situation, relayed with the help of Smart communications.

Villarmente said the company is willing to establish a satellite system within the diocese so that in case of signal outage—during calamities and disasters—the diocese can still reach out to their leaders in the field.

During the two-day project launching activity, participants were asked to identify the hazards in their respective areas so that preparations and preventions are laid out to address them.

Lawyer Maria Jane Paredes of Smart Communications said the company shared the use of its info board to the diocese where an administrator can send out advisories to its people who are also asked to make feedbacks as part of the partnership.

Paredes said that, given the vast network of the church down to the chapel level, it becomes more important for the priests and church members to be knowledgeable of what to do during calamities.

Governor Roel Degamo, for his part, lauded the partnerships among the diocese, the Smart Communications and the provincial government to reduce the impact of disasters, which jibes with the thrust of the provincial government to achieve zero casualty during calamities.

Bishop Julito Cortes said Project IMPACT is an activity that adheres to the principle of valuing life, in stressing preparedness will certainly save lives, especially the lives of the poor who are often the most affected victims of floods, earthquakes and other calamities. (FREEMAN)