MANILA: Basic sectors are now represented in disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation efforts through decision-making and targeted interventions.
This was after National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) Secretary Lope Santos III approved memorandum order No. 001, series of 2024, titled Guidelines on the Operationalization of the NAPC Basic Sector Representation in the National, Regional and Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils on Sept. 1.
Santos said the memorandum is essential for advancing the country’s DRRM efforts by fostering a more consultative and transparent approach to policy-making and advocating for reforms aimed at poverty alleviation.
Republic Act No. 10121 or the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010 ensures the meaningful participation and representation of basic sectors in the NRLDRRM councils nationwide, supporting the rights and welfare of impoverished Filipinos.
The approved guidelines also do not limit the state’s policy on local autonomy un
der RA 7160 or the Local Government Code.
It also acknowledges that local autonomy and private sector participation are supported by improved coordination between national and local government agencies.
Amid the bad weather brought by Tropical Storm Enteng on Tuesday, NAPC Victims of Disasters and Calamities Sectoral Council (VDCSC) representative Regina Salvador-Antequisa called for stronger collaboration between government agencies, local government units (LGUs), and civil society organizations (CSOs) to enhance disaster preparedness strategies for a more effective local response.
“VDCSC member organizations and other non-state actors have been providing micro-grants for livelihood recovery to the most vulnerable groups, but we know it’s not enough,” Salvador-Antequisa said. “The government must ensure effective and targeted programming to complement other initiatives on the ground.”
Enteng has impacted communities in Luzon and the Visayas, particularly low-lying urban areas, danger zones and coastal re
gions.
‘For those who have lost almost everything, including shelter and household possessions, the main concern is how to start over,” Salvador-Antequisa said.
She urged concerned government agencies, LGUs and CSOs to expedite and strengthen their grassroots disaster response.
Source: Philippines News Agency