ILOILO CITY -- Ten barangays from the municipality of Lambunao in Iloilo were recognized and given cash reward for having the best disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) plans on Wednesday.
Ranked first was Barangay Tranghauan and awarded PHP100,000 while the nine other winners: Barangays Pandan, Cubay, Gines, Maite Pequeño, Poblacion Ilawod, Bonbon, Maribong, Coto and Quiling each received PHP50,000.
The awarding was one of the highlights of the First Lambunao Disaster Risk Reduction/Climate Change Adaptation Summit held at the town gymnasium.
The prize that was sourced from the fund of the local government unit will be used for DRRM and climate change adaptation development projects, according to the municipal information office.
Mayor Jason Gonzales urged the more or less 800 participants from the DRRM councils of the town’s 73 barangays to “absorb” trainings that are being offered by the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO).
Gonzales said that they should have a plan that is responsive to hazards that are present in their respective barangays.
Lambunao Acting Municipal Administrator Sofia G. Halago said that the summit is significant because “it promotes awareness to the public that climate change is already here and it has to be faced seriously”.
She added that “preparedness and adaptation to climate change is very important”.
“It is mandatory that they have a DRRM plan particularly if their barangay is susceptible to flood and landslide,” she said.
The DRRM plan specifies the responses that will be undertaken by the barangay in case of calamities, such as landslide and flooding.
Lambunao, which is a mountainous town, is prone to landslides and having many rivers also makes it susceptible to flooding, she said.
In addition to the awarding of best DRRM plans, the one-day activity also served as venue to critique the plans of other barangays.
Halago said that they looked forward to another summit because they would like to see the “progress” of their plans.
Stephen Lee Mandadero, the municipal DRRM officer, said Lambunao is the first local government unit in Iloilo province to hold this kind of activity.
The best DRRM plan was judged based on the comprehensiveness at 60 percent; resourcefulness and timeliness to submit - both at 5 percent; and packaging, accuracy of plans and other innovations and best practices at 10 percent each. (PNA)
