Eleazar visits Leyte, bares ‘Yolanda’-based disaster response platform

Former PNP chief and senatoriable Guillermo Eleazar.

MANILA, Philippines — Former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief and senatorial candidate Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar was in Leyte on Friday, April 1, as part of his campaign visits in the provinces to include dialogues about his platform of government with local officials and residents.

One of the agenda that Eleazar presented to the Leyteños  is his plan to improve the country’s disaster management and response. Tacloban City and other parts of Leyte were the hardest hit by supertyphoon Yolanda in 2013.

“Right after the Yolanda devastation, naging bulag tayong lahat sa kung ano ang extent ng damage to properties and human lives sa Tacloban at ilang lugar sa Eastern Visayas dahil walang maayos na communication line,” he said.

One of the priorities of Eleazar in the Senate is the establishment of a reliable communication line in times of disasters and calamities. He intends to provide satellite phones in every community which they can use when the main communication lines are downed by natural calamities.

“Kasama sa aking legislative agenda ang pagkakaroon ng reliable communication infrastructure especially doon sa disaster-prone areas para up to date ang mga impormasyong ibinibigay sa mga policy makers,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Partido Reporma candidate is also pushing to inculcate disaster response and readiness measures in the curriculum of young learners

“Ang observation ko is nagkaroon ng ‘lost in translation’ sa mga residente. Sa kabila ng mga babala sa bagong bagyo ay hindi ito lubos na naibaba sa mga taga-Leyte noon because there were concepts that were new gaya ng concept ng storm surge,” he said

“Kaya isa sa isinusulong natin ang pag-incorporate ng disaster response and preparedness lesson sa curriculum ng mga estudyante para bata pa lang, mamulat na sila sa epekto ng climate change, mga terminologies sa disaster readiness para handa sila when these things happen in their communities,” he noted

Eleazar also pushes for the creation of permanent evacuation centers and the establishment of an insurance system for farmers affected by calamities.

“Sa panahon ng bagyo, magsasaka ang talo kasi inuutang ang puhunan ng mg magsasaka ‘pag nasira ng bagyo. Ang magandang solusyon doon, insurance system na alam mo na kung ikaw sy sakaling maapektuhan nito, makaka-recover ka at di na ipangungutang ang mga nawalang kaabuhayan.”

“All of these things will come into fruitition kung ako ay mahalal sa Senado sa pamamagitan ng Poong Maykapal at ng suporta ng publiko,” Eleazar said.

/MUF