Sen. Binay seeks review of disaster protocols as ‘Vinta’ death toll climbs

Senator Nancy Binay. PHOTO FROM THE OFFICE OF SENATOR NANCY BINAY

Senator Nancy Binay has called for a review of the country’s disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) protocols after more than a hundred persons were reported killed from typhoon “Vinta” (international name: Tembin).

The review would determine if there were loopholes in the disaster protocols in the national government level as well as local government units, Binay explained.

“Habang nakikiramay kami sa mga nawalan ng mga mahal sa buhay dulot ng mga dumaang kalamidad, nais rin nating maiwasan ang mga ganitong pangyayari sa hinaharap,” the senator said in a statement on Tuesday.

(While we condole with those who lost their loved ones due to the calamity, we also want to prevent this from happening again.)

“I am calling for a full review of our existing protocols for disaster risk reduction and management from the national government level down to the local governments to find out if there are loopholes in the system and the steps to take to address those. Dapat po nating ibalik ang ‘zero casualty’ mindset (We should have our ‘zero casualty’ mindset back),” she said.

According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), about 164 were reported killed while 176 were reported missing.

A state of calamity was declared in Lanao del Norte, as well as several municipalities and towns in Zamboanga del Norte.

Binay said the large death toll brought by Vinta was “unacceptable,” pointing out the available technology that would have warned them of the gravity of the storm.

“Hindi po katanggap-tanggap ang nangyari sa Zamboanga Peninsula at northern Mindanao sa kabila ng mga warning at mga makabagong teknolohiya,” the senator said.

(What happened in the Zamboanga Peninsula and in northern Mindanao is unacceptable despite the warnings and our new technology.)

“Marami na pong mga programa ang pamahalaan tungkol sa DRRM na pwedeng magbigay ng advance warning. Pero nakakalungkot sa marami pa rin sa ating mga kababayan ang naapektuhan,” she said.

(There are many government programs pertaining to DRMM which could give advance warning. But it’s saddening that still so many of our countrymen were affected.) /je