LGUs, foundation team up for disaster response project

MANILA, Philippines - Local governments and international group The Asia Foundation (TAF) will undertake a project to improve the way the public prepares and responds to disasters.

TAF will support a four-month project designed to enhance the operational framework, capacities and mechanisms for disaster risk management of seven local governments.

The beneficiaries of the project are local governments that belong to the Alliance of Seven (A7) namely Quezon City, Marikina and Pasig in Metro Manila and Antipolo city, Cainta, Rodriguez and San Mateo in Rizal province.

All the seven areas are linked to the Marikina watershed as their common ecosystem.

Roland Cabigas, president of La Liga Policy Institute, which serves as A7’s secretariat, said the project would involve strategic consultations and workshops among local governments, citizen groups and institutions.

The aim is to localize disaster risk reduction management plans and to enhance public awareness about them.

Cabigas said the routine floods and landslides have contributed to the deterioration of the Marikina watershed and in turn affected the residents and the development of various areas.

“The concerned LGUs, (local government units), cognizant of the limitations of singular approaches, thus formed the A7 as an inter-local cooperation and partnership’ to enhance the individual and collective capacities (of members),” he said.

Cabigas said the project would boost disaster risk reduction and management policies and  build up the capabilities of local governments and their partners.
The project will also entail the launching of effective information and education campaigns.

Cabigas said the A7’s effort will “showcase the effective approach to make communities safer, highly adaptive and more resilient to disasters.”

The Asia Foundation is a nonprofit international development organization that has presence in 17 Asian countries and in Washington DC. The group receives funding from various bilateral and multilateral development agencies, foundations, corporations, and individuals. – Alexis Romero