RDCC: "going down to barangays"

COTABATO CITY - - The Regional Development and Coordinating Council (RDCC) for ARMM is looking forward to "going down to barangays" as it will go through its comprehensive programs of strengthen disaster management and response mechanisms for 2002.
Lita B. Enok, Director of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) and head of RDCC-ARMM stressed, "the only way to response effectively in times of emergencies or calamities is to be able to made ready and prepared our man-maid and natural disaster prone localities, especially the barangays, in the region."
Reports of the RDCC presented today during its Year-end Conference held here categorically revealed that from the original area components of the ARMM, Maguindanao and Sulu are the top two areas gravely hit by both natural and man-maid calamites, which caused tremendous havoc to lives and properties of the people.
Dir. Enok emphasized that some of the barangays in Maguindanao and Sulu should be considered priority areas in the disaster response mechanism of the RDCC. The council also prioritized the giving of local training; seminars and information drive to the residents of these barangays, which are still to be identified, for them to properly equipped of what to do when calamities occur and how can they claim their relief assistance from the government.
The Technical Working Group (TWG) of the disaster council, however, blamed the giving of the intended funds for disaster management and relief operations to other region instead of directly realigning it to the autonomous region for the insufficient assistance the council was able to extend to its direct constituents.
The RDCC lamenting on the dilemma of the thousands of victims of calamities this year for their virtual ignorance on how to protect their lives and properties, promised to work hard to attend to the needs of the victims, which are still suffering from their recent calamities experiences.
The RDCC-ARMM 2002 priority programs, as reported by its TWG, include building of ready evacuation centers in the disaster prone areas, intensified disaster management and response training courses for the volunteers, acquiring necessary equipment for search and rescue operations, comprehensive advocacy campaign for emergency preparedness and response, and strengthening information management system like having its own website.

- (BPI-ARMM)