Barangays taught self-reliance on disaster management

The 39 barangays of the city represented by members of the erstwhile Barangay Disaster Coordinating Councils now known as the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils led by their punong barangays attended a one-day seminar-workshop on “Building Self-Reliance on Disaster Risk Reduction and Management” at the Vigan Culture and Trade Center last July 23. The seminar was one of the highlights on the observance of the National Disaster Consciousness Month with theme “Pag Alerto, Malayo sa Peligro”.
The seminar aimed to provide the barangays an in-depth understanding and management of the geo-meteorological hazards and their resultant effects on their lives and community. The participants gained appreciation on the relationship between development, the community’s vulnerability and susceptibility, and their capacity/resiliency to respond to disasters. They were informed of their core functions and the desired traits adopted by leaders who are confronted by disasters. The participants were able to draw appropriate disaster preparedness and disaster risk reduction strategies and plans to address identified gaps and deficiencies. The building blocks of self-reliance in preparing, mitigating, responding and rehabilitating the community in the face of disasters is now established in the barangays.//genaro & f.bitonio