Provincial contingency plan mulled for So. Leyte

Provincial contingency plan mulled for So. Leyte
By Bong Pedalino
Philippine Information Agency
November 10, 2011

MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, Nov. 11 (PIA) -- Contingency plans in the event of natural calamities have become part of the routine activities of the various municipalities and this city, down to barangay levels.

Recently, however, suggestions were raised as to having a separate contingency plan for the Southern Leyte provincial government, said Efledo Hernandez, the Head of the Provincial Disaster Management Office (PDMO).

Hernandez made the revelation in his welcome remarks during the opening ceremonies for the three-day “Capability Enhancement Training for IEC Educators and Menros” held at Supercha Restaurant 2 here starting today until Friday.

He said as of the moment, only five local government units have submitted their respective contingency plans (CPs), and for the province to have one required the submission of 80% of the LGUs.

Sill, a comprehensive and province-wide CP can be considered in the light of the ongoing 3-day activity, as one of its outputs.

The training was intended for the ten partner LGUs -- nine towns and one city -- selected as pilot sites in an innovative project using SMS technology to warn people of impending disasters that was funded by the World Bank (WB) with Smart Communications and the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP).

Two representatives were sent per LGU, the one in-charge of Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) Educators and the designated Municipal/City Environment and Natural Resources Officers (MENROs).

Among the expectations aired by the participants were to gain insights, deepened knowledge and understanding, and to learn more about climate change and how it affects the province and their respective localities.

The production of information materials to be distributed to specific communities or barangays was also one of the expected output of the three-day training, said Jason Calva, head of the disaster preparedness through SMS technology project.

The ten pilot LGUs included Anahawan, Hinunangan, Liloan, San Francisco, Pintuyan, San Ricardo, Libagon, Tomas Oppus, Malitbog, and Maasin City.