Sorsogon City mainstreams disaster risk reduction mechanisms in local planning and urban management

By Irma A. Guhit

SORSOGON CITY , SEPTEMBER 8 (PIA)…Using the strategy of bottoms up approach, the city government of Sorsogon has conducted a series of inter-sectoral consultation to mainstream the interventions for Climate Change Mitigation , Adaptation and institute disaster risk reduction initiatives.

“Inputs of the Provincial Planning and Development Office (PPDO), the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (PDRRMC) and the  Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (BDRRMC), together with other members of the community  have provided the office on the current situations, conditions and identifying problem areas , provide necessary actions steps and harmonizing it with development plans were the mechanism initiated  already by the city government to mainstream Climate Change Mitigation, Adaptation and risk reduction , Mayor Leovic R. Dioneda  usually express whenever he is invited to share the best practices of the city” Tito D. Fortes said in an interview done by the Philippine Information Agency Office here last Monday.

“We were tasked to share the best practices of the City of Sorsogon in DRR in Baguio City only two weeks ago since Mayor Dioneda was in another commitment sharing again the best practices of the city in Solid Waste Management implementation” Fortes said.

 Fortes, as the newly installed officer in charge of programs and projects under the CCMA provided several persons visiting the city, a tour of the office where emboldened hazard maps were posted showing their areas of vulnerabilities and vulnerabilities of neighboring municipalities that also poses a bearing on certain climatic conditions in the city.

Fortes said that the maps generated through the assistance of the Mines Geosciences Bureau (MGB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) provided personnel working in the DRR a very comprehensive presentation of certain types of vulnerabilities of the city.

“This office has created awareness within the basic sectors in the community to look at disasters with preparedness and with a committed responsibility of what should be done collectively in addressing the concerns”, Fortes said.

”The Provincial Planning and Development Office (PPDO) together with the Sorsogon City Development Planning Office (CPDO) have harmonized their Physical Framework Development Plan”, he said.

Reformulation and the enhancement of the city PFDP in compliance with the CCMA and DRR will now serve as the basic operating guidelines and legal policies to be followed for the expedient implementation of programs and projects under the infrastructure development landscape of the city”, Fortes further explained. (PIA-SORSOGON)