As the country celebrates National Disaster Resilience Month, a lawmaker on Tuesday emphasized the importance of empowering regions and local governments in disaster reduction and recovery by providing them with necessary information, resources and decision-making capabilities.

Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez said accelerating the resilience-building efforts at the local and regional levels would allow for prompt disaster response to natural hazard events.

“Dapat mas palawigin pa natin ang kakayahan ng mga lokal na gobyerno na magsagawa ng mga hakbang upang tugonan ang epekto ng kalamidad sa kanilang sinasakupan (We need to strengthen the capacities of local governments to manage natural disasters within their localities). Let’s help them stand on their feet when times get rough. Hindi yun iiwan natin sila sa ere kapag nagka problema na. Mali yun (We should not leave them hanging in the face of the problem. That’s wrong),” Alvarez said.

Alvarez pointed out that a shift to federalism will empower regions and local governments by giving them the ability to address adequately their local concerns.

The legislator said enhancing disaster awareness while also reinforcing risk management is crucial to promote a resilient Philippines, which is one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries.

“Layunin nito na mabuklod ang mga ahensya at tao sa pagharap at pag-kilos sa mga kalamidad sa bansa para sa epektibong aksyon tugon sa kalamidad. Mahalaga na malaman at maunawaan natin ang kahalagahan nito upang maging handa at magkaroon ng tamang pagresponde sa kalamidad (Our goal is to coordinate the efforts of the agencies and the public in the face of natural disasters for a more efficient disaster response. We need to understand the importance of this to effectively prepare for and respond to disasters),” Alvarez said.

He said the observance of National Disaster Resilience Month 2023 helps ensure the preparedness and effective response of the national and local governments on their road to recovery from the devastating impact of hazards and disasters.

The Philippines kicked off its National Disaster Resilience Month observance in July with month-long activities themed, “BIDAng Pilipino: Building a Stronger Filipino Well-Being towards Disaster Resilience.”

The observance is being spearheaded by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) and the Office of Civil Defense (OCD).

The NDRM kickoff activity started with a simultaneous “Run For Resilience” on July 1 in all the regions. (PNA)