Surigao City, 3 Surigao del Norte towns piloted for disaster mitigation project

Surigao City (26 May) — The nickel city of Surigao and three municipalities of Surigao del Norte province in Northeastern Mindanao (Caraga region) were chosen as pilot areas in identifying possible disaster risks and mitigation projects.

The Office of Civil Defense (OCD), National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) along with the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB) are already preparing for a project that would help local government units (LGUs) identify disaster risks and incorporate mitigating measures into their local development plans.

The integrating Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation (DRR-CCA) in Local Development Planning and Decision-Making Process, aims to provide high-risk LGUs a guide in identifying options for collective responses to common risks.

Surigao del Norte was chosen as a pilot area following its formulation of a DRR-enhanced Provincial Development and Physical Framework Plan (PDPFP).

Under the plan, the provincial government has identified Surigao City and Claver, Gigaquit and Bacuag towns, all of Surigao del Norte province cluster as high priority areas for DRR interventions.

Anytime from now, the OCD, NEDA, HLURB and local disaster councils will conduct field inspections to validate hazard risks identified by the LGUs and generate their support for the project.

The team, led by Regional Development Coordination staff director Susan Rachel G. Jose, was able to identify an eroded riverbank in Bacuag and several rain-induced landslides along the newly constructed highway from Surigao City to Claver, Surigao del Norte.

The Integrating DRR-CCA project is expected to produce a Reference Manual that would showcase a risk assessment methodology and suggest entry points for mainstreaming disaster and climate risks reduction in land-use plans.

The project is being implemented by NEDA, with support from the United Nations Development Programme and the Australian Agency for International Development.

Meanwhile, Northeastern Mindanao OCD Regional Director Blanche T. Gobenciong said the DRR-CCA pilot projects in Surigao City and in the Surigao del Norte’s three towns will make “positive.” mitigating measures in times of calamities.

“This is a big help to our local communities,” added Director Gobenciong. (muc/PIA-Caraga)