40 private institutions tapped to improve disaster response

MANILA, Philippines – The government recently forged an agreement with some 40 private institutions to improve the country’s disaster response system.

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Corazon Soliman said the government has received assistance from various firms, including Golden Arches Development Corp., Smart Communications and United Laboratories, to help cope with national disasters.

Under the agreement, Soliman said the DSWD and partner organizations commit to strengthen coordination during disaster response activities especially at the height of disaster occurrences.

She said the assistance of private institutions is necessary to enhance response capability by augmenting the govern-ment’s resources.

On Sept. 26 last year, tropical storm “Ondoy” brought an unusual amount of rain that inundated Metro Manila and nearby provinces, leaving over a hundred persons dead and thousands of families homeless.

Retired Army Gen. Benito Ramos, executive director of the National Disaster Risk Reduction Council (NDRRC), earlier said the government is prepared to respond to Ondoy-like disasters.

In the meantime, Science Under-secretary and concurrent officer-in-charge of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) Graciano Yumul said the weather agency has implemented several projects to improve the bureau’s rainfall forecasting capability in the past several months.

Pagasa failed to predict the amount of rainfall that would be dumped by storm Ondoy last year due to lack of necessary equipment.

Yumul said at least six Doppler radars would be fully operational before the end of the year. A Doppler radar is capable of measuring rainfall amount.

He said Doppler radars in Baler, Aurora and Baguio City are already working, while the radar in Subic, Zambales is expected to be completed soon.

By November or December, Doppler radars would also be installed in Tampakan, South Cotabato, Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur and Tagaytay City.

Aside from these, Yumul said the agency has also established 43 automatic weather stations in various parts of the country.

“The Pagasa radar group and contractors said by year end, barring unforeseen circumstances, the Doppler radars will be fully operational,” Yumul said in a text message to The STAR.

The Philippine Disaster Recovery Foundation (PDRF), headed by businessman Manny Pangilinan, on the other hand, has facilitated the implementation of several disaster-mitigation programs in the last 12 months.

Mon Isberto, a PDRF official and spokesman of Smart Communication Inc., said private institutions, including Smart, Jollibee Food Corp., Globe and Sun Cellular, have invested a total of P80.1 million for various projects, including flood-mitigation and repair of schools damaged by Ondoy in two municipalities in Rizal. — Evelyn Macairan, Christina Mendez –Helen Flores (The Philippine Star)