Sen. Bam Eyes Best Practices to Prepare for Calamities, Disasters

With the improved performance of government, private sector and non-government organizations in preparation for super typhoon Ruby, a lawmaker wants to institutionalize best practices and effective tools to ensure readiness for future calamities and disasters.

"We should be learning not only from our mistakes but also from a job well done. We must do it by institutionalizing the best practices and tools implemented by government, LGUs and private sector to prepare for future disasters," Aquino said.

A lawmaker is calling for an inquiry to assess the impact of government's action to determine best practices and effective tools used in mitigating the effects of super typhoon Ruby to ensure readiness for future calamities and disasters.

In his Senate Resolution 1063, Senator Bam Aquino stressed the need to assess the impact of government's actions to determine best practices and effective tools used in the disaster risk and reduction programs of local government units (LGUs).

"The country's experience with typhoon Ruby (Hagupit) has become key opportunities for learning and for improving disaster preparedness coordination, strategies and practices," Aquino explained.

"Despite the Filipinos' vulnerability to typhoons, these experiences demonstrate how the government together with the private sector and the communities stricken by calamities can effectively prepare for and mitigate the adverse effects of disasters," the senator added.

The inquiry will look into the enhanced inter-agency coordination mechanisms of the national government and the pro-active response of LGUs and private sector on disaster preparedness and mitigation in the country.

"The national government should also be able to identify the appropriate and useful strategies for inter-agency coordination in building community awareness, disaster preparedness planning, and ensuring quick response to help ensure readiness of communities for future disasters," he added.

Aquino noted that proper coordination among national government agencies, LGUs and private sector contributed to the notable decrease in the number of casualties and loss of property compared to last year's typhoon Yolanda.

As of latest count, Typhoon Ruby claimed 19 lives and damaged more than P3 billion worth of properties. Typhoon Yolanda, for its part, killed 6,092 people and damaged P36.62 billion worth of properties.

The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNIDSDR) was impressed with the Philippines' preparations for typhoon Ruby, which involved the pre-emptive evacuation of at least one million Filipinos in the typhoon's path.

In addition, the ASEAN Secretary-General Le Luong Minh commended the country "for its early warning efforts and disaster preparedness plans, which mitigated losses and damages."