TAGUM CITY, Davao del Norte, Aug. 20 (PNA) — The provincial government of Davao del Norte will commence the second phase of Oplan A.N.D.A.M. (Advocacy on Natural Disaster Awareness and Management) program in September 2015.
It has so far upgraded its community-based disaster awareness campaign aimed at ensuring people’s participation in attaining zero casualty and easing the impact of natural calamities.
Romulo Tagalo, Executive Director of the Provincial Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (CCA-DRRM) Council, said the program will now focus on tsunami drill with orientations on basic life-saving techniques, earthquake drill and critical incident stress debriefing
“This time around, the program will target the coastal areas of the province,” he bared.
Buoyed by the success of the Oplan A.N.D.A.M. 1, Tagalo said Governor Rodolfo del Rosario directed the expansion of the program to build disaster-ready and resilient coastal communities.
Del Rosario launched ANDAM, the Cebuano word for “prepare”, program in 2013 to teach communities simple technologies that will help them reduce their vulnerability and build their resilience to calamities.
It is targeted for implementation in the province’s 64 flood-prone villages by highlighting lectures on first aid, water sanitation and hygiene, river bank protection, bio-gas technology and botanical concoction, earthquake/fire drills and critical incident stress debriefing.
Tagalo, who is the Officer-in-Charge of the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office, said the program’s stakeholders include the concerned provincial offices, local government units (LGUs), schools, the Philippine National Police (PNP), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP).
Oplan A.N.D.A.M. enabled the province to win the Best Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council Award during the 2015 Regional Search for Gawad Kalasag Excellence. (PNA)