MANILA, Philippines – Kasunod ng pagtatapos ng Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (APMCDRR), iginiit ng Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) ang kahalagahan ng pagpaplano sa lokal na lebel para sa resiliency.
Ayon kay DENR Assistant Secretary Rochelle Gamboa sa news forum nitong Sabado, Oktubre 19, sinabi nito na
“Economic policies will have to be local-based para ang pagpaplano ng pagpapaunlad ang siyang magpapahusay ng kakayahan ng Pilipinas sa paghahanda, pagtugon at pag-recover sa mga kalamidad.”
Idinagdag ni Gamboa na napag-usapan sa conference ang capacity building kasama ang local government units (LGUs), karagdagang financial aid para sa high-risk areas, pagpaplano ng mga estratehiya na isasama ang vulnerable sectors at pagpapalakas ng international cooperation.
Kasabay ng press conference sa pagtatapos ng APMCDRR, sinabi rin ni DENR Secretary Ma. Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga na, “This fight will be won at the local level. The level of our cities certainly because of their high populations and exposure. But also, at the level of our communities that are most exposed to the physical challenges of their geographies.”
Noong Setyembre, nanatili ang Pilipinas sa “most at-risk country” sa extreme weather events at climate change, ayon sa 2024 World Risk Report.
Idinagdag ni Yulo-Loyzaga na, “So, we do need to work towards the convergence of our work in our international commitments and have that cascade and be reflected as well in our development planning.”
“It is very clear that the fight against disasters will be either won or lost at the level of cities. So, it’s really important that we put our resources, our capacities, our mechanisms there,” ayon naman kay Kamal Kishore, pinuno ng United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. RNT/JGC
