Government should declare Bikol a calamity prone area--Sarion

NAGA CITY—Daet Mayor Tito Sarion said on Thursday that the national government should declare several provinces and regions, including Bikol, as calamity-prone areas.

Sarion said there was a need to institutionalize a system on how to address disaster preparedness and response.

“Perhaps the national government should declare typhoon/calamity prone areas as the initial step. The national government can then allocate funds for the insurance of basic government infrastructures like schools, hospitals and roads affected by landslide and erosion.” He said providing insurance to government infrastructures would ascertain that the structural requirements of government infrastructures are met with the highest standard.

“The insurance companies will be good instruments to see to it that government projects are done in the highest quality standard because they can run after contractors for any variance in program of works.”

Opposition Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero said this week that the government should construct permanent evacuation centers and typhoon-resistant roads and bridges in Bikol Region. “We all know which provinces usually are hardest hit by typhoons. Why don’t we reinforce vital infrastructure before the rains come?”

Escudero said money spent for rebuilding was more expensive than constructing typhoon-resistant infrastructures. This he said in the wake of the onslaught of tropical storm “Dante” in Bicol which resulted in at least 25 deaths and displacement of at least 8,000 families and more than 48,000 people in the region.

“For decades, people living in the eastern seaboard of the Philippines have borne the brunt of at least five devastating typhoons yearly. But government has always been on a reactive mode instead of being pro-active, and thus the suffering of the people continues.” He said permanent evacuation centers must be established in Bikol and Western Visayas as well as in the provinces of Aurora, Cagayan, Quirino and Isabela.

He said using schools, basketball courts and municipal halls as evacuation centers only lead to further disruption of people’s lives.

“Rather than selectively handing dole outs to LGUs during the typhoon season, the government should take a longterm view and channel funds to reinforce school buildings, power lines, public markets, bridges, and other vital infrastructure.” He called on the Department of Social Welfare and Development to ensure always enough supply of relief goods in regions and provinces prone to storms. He said there should be personnel who could be immediately mobilized once disaster strikes.

“The government must automatically augment the calamity funds of all LGUs in typhoon areas yearly so that they can act right away in times of urgent need,” he added.

Reacting to Sen. Escudero’s statement, Naga City Vice Mayor Gabriel H. Bordado said proposal to mitigate effects of storms should have been done by the national government “long before global warming became fashionable catch praise.”

“But the city government like most local government units in the country can only do so much because of resource limitations. The national government must lead. These things should never be done on a piecemeal or ad hoc basis.”

“We really want to have storm-resistant infrastructures but the funds allocated to the provincial government are not enough to make it possible,” said Masbate Governor Elisa Olga Kho. “It’s a policy advice that I would give to him if he wins as President,” said Albay Governor Joey Salceda, referring to Escudero.

“Albay is already implementing permanent relocation, safe evacuation centers, safe schools, and now safe hospitals.”