Sustainable Initiatives Led by Local Experts

Courtesy Call to the Local Government Unit of the Municipality of Bagac, Bataa

            The project team from the Center for Social Concern and Action (COSCA) held a courtesy call to selected officials of the Municipality of Bagac, Bataan last December 13, 2010. The two-fold objectives of the visit are the following: 1). to reiterate the commitment of the center to provide capacity building on Disaster Risk Reduction to its partner communities as stipulated during two post-Ondoy workshops held at DLSU in 2009 and 2). to initially ascertain the commitment of both parties to undertake this joint initiative.

            De La Salle University Manila (DLSU) has long been a partner of the mentioned LGU in specific developmental initiatives in the municipality since 2008. COSCA in partnership with the Jaime Hilario Integrated School (JHIS) has been instrumental in the formation of the Sitio Looc Municipal Fishers Association (SLMFA), a local people’s organization based in the coastal community along Looc Bay.  This Lasallian partnership project has also managed to construct 30 housing units for approximately 30 fisher-families relocated from the disaster prone foreshore to a relatively safe area within the school compound.  

            The project team led by Ms. Isabel Lanada, Project Technical Facilitator and Mr. Rolando Palma, Project Community Organizer met with Mr. Rommel Vasquez Del Rosario, Local Chief Executive of Bagac, Bataan and Mr. Guillermo Mendoza Jr his Vice Mayor and Presiding Officer of the Sangguniang Bayan (local legislative council).  The meeting focused on the localization of Republic Act 10121 or the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction Act of 2010, a comprehensive piece of legislation mandating disaster preparedness for communities.  Their discussion centered on the law specifically on the role of the local government units in partnership with private sectors to restructure existing local disaster mechanisms to fit the requirements of the new law and to assure disaster resiliency of the communities.

            The team was also fortunate to have met Ms. Eugenia Galvez, the Municipal Administrator who expressed openness of her office to participate in the said initiative and their willingness to integrate DRR concerns within the Municipal Development Plan for 2011. It can be said that the highlight of the visit is the commitment of the LGU to allocate five percent of their Internal Revenue Allocation (IRA) for DRR activities and the passage of a new municipal ordinance on Disaster Management to conform with the existing national legal framework,