MANKAYAN, Benguet – The municipal government and the barangays are now bracing for the rainy season and the possible occurrence of disasters to achieve the government’s overall goal of zero casualty.
Mayor Frenzel A. Ayong stated that personnel from the municipal disaster risk reduction office (MDRRMO) are now going around the municipality to conduct information and education campaign to make the residents of aware of the potential threat of disasters in their respective communities.
Further, MDRRMO personnel are also taking advantage of gatherings in the municipality to conduct inform and educate, and provide basic first aid training so that more people are updated on the latest trends on the management and mitigation of disasters aggravated by climate change.
The municipal chief executive stipulated that one of the major thrusts of the local government is effective and efficient disaster risk reduction and management for the realization of the overall goal of zero casualty enshrined under the pertinent provisions of Republic Act 10121 or the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010.
Under the provisions of the law, local governments are mandated to formulate their respective local disaster risk reduction and management plans for the proper utilization of the 5 percent mandatory local disaster risk reduction and management fund to achieve disaster preparedness and disaster resilience.
Mayor Ayong stipulated that the municipal government will its aggressive information and education campaign on disaster risk reduction and management to the grassroots level to make residents aware of the appropriate preparations needed to be done at their level to prevent the loss of lives and damages to properties.
Among the threats of disasters in the municipality include landslides and soil erosions in identified landslide-prone communities.
Of the 5 percent mandatory allocations by the local governments for their respective LDRRFs, 70 percent of the same will be earmarked for disaster preparedness, prevention and mitigation while 30 percent will be used for quick response activities.
Mankayan is both a mining and agriculture town with its 6 upland barangays producing semi-temperate vegetables while the 6 lower barangays are where small-scale and large-scale mining operations are being conducted.
Mayor Ayong expressed hope that the municipality will be spared from the occurrence of future disasters to allow residents to be able to recover from the impact of the ongoing Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. By HENT
