OCD to Train Media on Disaster Preparedness

The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) 7 assured to provide Cebu media members a special training on disaster preparedness and mitigation.

“This is to allow “you” media members to have ample knowledge and ideas what to do in case of not only emergencies but also during disasters”, OCD7 Regional Director Olivia Luces said.

Luces was one of the guests during the Kapihan sa PIA at the PIO office at the provincial Capitol. She revealed a series of activities they are now launching in relation to the on going celebration of National Disaster Consciousness Month that carries a theme: Kahandaan at Kaligtasan ng Pamayanan, Pundasyon ng Kaunlaran.

“We have to carefully deal any disasters that would confront us, not to mitigate its power but to control the people’s death”, she said.

Luces also revealed that the implementation of Republic Act (RA)10121 has gathered the full force of government agencies whose concern are more on disaster-related services to shoulder their respective tasks and functions especially during calamities.

She identified these agencies as OCD, Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG),Philippine Volcanology and Seismology (PhiVolcs), Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (DRRMC), Department of Health (DOH) and National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).

Luces said every group member needs also to live, so the government through RA 10121 also provided enough budget to let everybody move before and after the disasters.

However, she lamented the fact that in some localities where most ordinary farmers and fishermen live, are reluctant to become members of the barangay disaster risk reduction and management council group, because the government failed to provide enough honorarium for their services.

But with the implementation of RA 10121, everything, including the financial aspect are considered, but hopes that a volunteer attitude to prevail.

“We are encouraging everybody to prevail their voluntarism attitude, the best character everyone must possess”, Luces added.

Luces again invited and encouraged Cebu media group to join the trainings and seminars OCD may introduce few days from now.

She also identified the big role of media people as far as information dissemination is concerned.