Davao del Norte is upping up the ante of its award-winning disaster preparedness by organizing community-based responders in every barangay.

During the Kapihan sa Kapitolyo last Thursday, August 11, Provincial Administrator Samson J. Sanchez revealed that grassroots emergency rescue units will be established and strengthened in all barangays to act as trained first responders, while waiting for the arrival of rescue units from the city, municipal or provincial governments.

“We are thinking and constructing ways to solidify the community-based disaster preparedness. It really starts with a strong foundation within the barangay, so that they will not be too reliant to responders coming from the province, cities and municipalities in times of disasters,” according to Sanchez.

Initially called the Alliance of Grassroots Responders, the community quick response team program builds up from the successful Oplan ANDAM (Advocacy on Natural Disaster and Management) program of the province.

It can be recalled that the provincial government rolled off Oplan ANDAM caravans to over 70 disaster-prone barangays since three years ago, teaching residents simple technologies that help them reduce their vulnerability and build their resilience to calamities.

The program helped Davao del Norte earned its Best Prepared Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (PDRRMC) award in Region 11 two years in a row.

“There have been series of activities on disaster awareness, preparedness and disaster response, and there have been investment on disaster preparedness through the procurement of equipment that can be used during disaster. We will reach the level wherein the people in the communities are the ones we prepare for disaster response because they have enough knowledge on what to do before, during after a calamity,” explained Sanchez.

“Initially gitawag namo na sila ug Alliance of Grassroots Responders (AGR). Eventually ato nang i-forward kang governor.... para ma-legislate sa atong Sangguniang Panlalawigan,” Sanchez added.

He clarified that the composition of the alliance of barangay responders is representative of all the sectors in the community, without being politicized.
“As much as possible kuhaon nato ang involvement sa tanang sektor sa katilingban . . . Its more of sectoral . . . ang sektor sa barangay sila ang motuboy o mo-nominate kinsa ang pwede nato i-train for disaster response . . . sectoral ang representation ani para dili kaayo ma-politicized,” the official said.

The PDRRM Division is recently reverted back to the Provincial Administrator’s Office, with Ms. Glenda Delideli as the new officer-in-charge. (pioDavNor)