DIPOLOG CITY: The Provincial
Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) said it will conduct
tsunami and earthquake drills in all coastal barangays in Zamboanga del Norte whole
year round.
Ryne Bustillo, PDDRMC planning
officer-designate, said they aim to keep people aware and prepared against any
untoward incident.
Bustillo added their activities for
2015 follows that of their advocacy campaign and drills in Jose Dalman and Dapitan
City.
Earlier, Gov. Roberto Y. Uy had
asked the Provincial Board to grant him authority to apply for a P500-million
loan with Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) to augment the disaster
preparedness capabilities of the province.
During SP’s regular session, Vice
Gov.`Senen O. Angeles explained to board members the importance of securing the
loan, as he reminded them of the devastation wrought by Typhoon Yolanda in
Tacloban City last Nov. 2013.
With the erratic climatic
condition, Angeles said, everyone has to be prepared and equipped to face natural
calamities that may hit the province more especially that Mindanao is now a
pathway for typhoons.
It was learned that the loan will
be used for the purchase of light and heavy equipment and for the construction
of bridges, water facilities and covered courts which will be used as
evacuation centers.
Meanwhile, Board Member Crisologo
A. Decierdo moved to refer the governor’s letter request to the committee on
finance for further study, as the province has still an outstanding loan with LBP.
The PDRRMC, partnering with DENR
and PIA, has been active in climate change adaptation and mitigation campaign in
different schools in the province.