Member-agencies of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) on Thursday explored ways to enhance the disaster response of the government at the local and national levels.
Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. presided over the second full council meeting of the NDRRMC in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.
Among those present were Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga and Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (PAPRU) Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr.
The NDRRMC, in a social media post on Friday, said the following were discussed during the meeting:
Draft Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plan (LDRRMP) Formulation Guidebook; Draft Guidelines in the Formulation and Implementation of the Public Service Continuity Plan (PSCP); Draft Revised Guidelines on the Implementation, Operation, and Turnover of Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Evacuation Center Project; Draft Operation L!STO Disaster Preparedness Manual for Earthquake and lastly, Draft Operation L!STO Management of the Dead and Missing Persons Field Manual and Training Package.
The efforts to improve the country’s disaster response efforts are pursuant to the enactment of Republic Act 10121 or the “Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010.”
The law also mandates the NDRRMC to craft a national DRRM plan that would serve as the national guide on how sustainable development can be achieved through inclusive growth while building the adaptive capacities of communities; increasing the resilience of vulnerable sectors; and optimizing disaster mitigation opportunities with the end in view of promoting people’s welfare and security towards gender-responsive and rights-based sustainable development.
Meanwhile, a public service continuity plan details how an organization will ensure it can continue to perform its essential functions during a wide range of emergencies.
Earlier, Teodoro said public participation in the quarterly Nationwide Simultaneous Earthquake Drill (NSED) would provide participants with the necessary lifesaving skills should a major quake strike the country.