LGUs urged to back dev't. plans on disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation

DAVAO CITY, June 1 (PIA) – The Davao Regional Development Council has called on the support of the municipal and barangay government units and other stakeholders to their respective provincial enhanced plans on disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation.

RDC-XI chair and Davao del Norte Governor Rodolfo del Rosario made the call during the recent RDC-XI’s regional advocacy forum on DRR/CCA-Enhanced Provincial Development and Physical Framework Plans.

Del Rosario said the PDPFP of each of the four provinces in the region assures the integration of DRR/CCA in the local development planning and decision-making processes.

RDC-XI vice chair and regional director Ma. Lourdes D. Lim of the National Economic and Development Authority, said the PDPFP also assures the commitment of the governors to “pursue disaster-preventing and mitigating interventions identified in the plans.”

Lim said it is a bigger challenge for the local government units to cascade their PDPFPs to their respective municipalities, barangays and stakeholders to strengthen their communities’ resiliency to disasters and adapt climate change.

“We call on the support of stakeholders because the LGUs should not be left alone in these tasks,” Lim stated during the Kapihan sa PIA-XI held immediately after the advocacy forum.

Various DRR/CCA-related projects and appropriate major interventions have been lined up in the plans ready for implementation, such as reforestation and watershed development projects, construction of weather resistant drainage/flood/river control, provision of relocation sites and climate resistant housing units, among others.  

The salient features of the PDPFP of each of the province were presented during the advocacy forum held Friday (May 29) at the Pinnacle Hotel, Davao City.

According to NEDA, the PDPFPs of the LGUs of Davao Oriental, Compostela Valley, Davao del Norte and Davao del Sur were completed in June 2014 following the provision of technical assistance that was aimed at mainstreaming concerns on DRR/CCA into the plans.
 
 The technical assistance projects, which included training on various techniques and methodologies on DRR/CCA, came from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Australian Agency for International Aid (AusAID) and New Zealand Aid Programme (NZAP)

UNDP Philippines country director Titon Mitra lauded the four provincial LGUs and NEDA for a comprehensive understanding of disaster risk reduction.

Mitra said UNDP is “willing to work with NEDA to take this forward, to enhance the capacity of the LGUs.” (PIA-XI/Carina L. Cayon)