Gov’t agencies ready action plans to respond to natural disasters

MANILA, Philippines – Several government agencies are gearing up for a project that aims to increase their capacity to respond to disasters and calamities.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) will take the lead in implementing the project entitled “Enhancing Greater Metro Manila Areas (GMMA) Institutional Capacities for Effective Disaster/Climate Risk Management towards Sustainable Development” or “GMMA Ready,” it said in a statement released after a meeting by the concerned agencies.

“The project aims to decrease the vulnerability of the Grater Metro Manila Area to natural hazards and increase its resilience, by strengthening the institutional capacities of the local government units (LGUs), concerned national government agencies, academic institutions and civil society organizations (CSOs) to manage disaster and climate change risks,” it said.

Among the expected output of the project are hazard and risk maps for the guidance of all concerned agencies during disaster situations as well as contingency plans.

A National Early Warning System is also being planned that would “improve communication flow particularly during earthquakes and tsunamis,” it said.

The project covers the 17 Metro Manila LGUs and the adjacent provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal, it said.

NDRRMC’s partner agencies in the project include the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), Climate Change Commission (CCC), and the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB).

Also a partner is The Collective Strengthening on Community Awareness on Natural Disasters (CSCAND) Agencies which is composed of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS), Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), and the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA).

“GMMA READY” is funded by the Australian Agency of International Aid (AusAID) through the United Nations Development Program.

“The project [is] envisioned to achieve all the results over a period of three years or from 2012-2014 and [is] expected to improve mechanisms and protocols on [Disaster Response Management],” it said.