LGUs urged to cut disaster costs with risk reduction strategies

October 19, 2024 , 07:27 PM

By Gabriel Kim Leal

(October 19, 2024) – Local government units (LGUs) can reduce the economic impact of disasters by implementing effective risk reduction strategies, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said on Saturday.

This came after massive economic damages caused by previous disasters, particularly in the agriculture sector.

“Napakataas po noong recent po na bagyo. Ang losses po doon sa agrikultura lamang ay umabot ng P6 billion,” said Environment Asec. Rochelle Gamboa in a media forum. “But ang mahalaga po mayroon pong disaster reduction strategies ang mga cities. Ang gastos po na iyon masi-save po nila kung mayroon po silang disaster risk strategy.”

According to Gamboa, the Office of Civil Defense recorded over 250 disasters in 2022, with over 90 of those caused by natural hazards such as typhoons and floods. She added that disasters also included manmade incidents.

One key solution Gamboa mentioned is the use of advanced technology, such as artificial intelligence, to predict and monitor disasters, as well as provide recovery solutions. She noted the role of the Philippine Space Agency’s technology, which helps the DENR in mapping hazards and monitoring disaster-prone areas.

“Make the system and the communications more efficient para maintindihan ng mga tao na hindi sila dapat nagtatayo ng bahay o naglo-locate sa areas na may mga fault lines para ‘pag dumating man ang landslide or even an earthquake, hindi sila gaanong apektado,” added Gamboa, citing a landslide in Maco, Davao de Oro last January that some residents ignored warnings and stayed in dangerous areas.

In his third State of the Nation Address, Pres. Bongbong Marcos Jr. touted the government’s flood control projects worth billions of pesos, only to get slammed when Super Typhoon Carina and the southwest monsoon submerged Metro Manila and nearby provinces.

Over 1.1 million people were affected by the typhoon, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

In September, the Department of Agriculture (DA) reported P107.42 million in agricultural damage caused by the southwest monsoon and Tropical Cyclone Ferdie.

In the same month, the DA recorded 51,728 metric tons of volume loss in agriculture worth P2.26 billion due to Severe Tropical Storm Enteng.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government earlier called on Asia-Pacific governments to collaborate for quicker, more effective responses during natural disasters.

“We hope that we will secure everyone’s commitment to plan and execute decisive and urgent local actions on disaster risk reduction and management more expediently,” said Interior Sec. Jonvic Remulla.

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