The Western Visayas Summit on Risk Reduction and Geo-Hazard Awareness will be held tomorrow at the Hospitality Management building of West Negros University in Bacolod City.

Organized by Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, the summit is anchored on his advocacy that “Disaster Risk Reduction is our collective responsibility,” Erickson Balmes, Director I of the Office of Pimentel, said yesterday.

Balmes who met with WNU president Oscar Suarez and Mayor Evelio Leonardia’s executive assistant, Jonathan Lobaton, and other staff at the WNU, said this is the secondsummit organized by Pimentel. The first one was held in Mindanao on Feb. 17-18, 2012 and the next summit will be held in the Bicol Region, he said.

He added that they are holding the second summit in Western Visayas due to the recent earthquake that hit Negros Oriental.

“With the recent earthquake that hit Dumaguete, we feel that we need to bring the summit to Western Visayas so that we empower more people. We plan to do this all over the country,” he said.

Balmes said the summit in Bacolod will be attended by governors, mayors, members of the academe in all provinces of the Western Visayas and Negros Island.

He said the summit was an aftermath of typhoon Sendong, and the Senator felt the need to empower the people.

“The more we inform the people that there are more ways to prepare for disasters, the death toll and amount of destruction will be lessened, especially now that another earthquake has hit Japan,” he said.

He said the battle cry of Pimentel in minimizing the impact of disasters is : “Be aware, be prepared, and take action.”

The resource speakers include a representative from World Vision, who will discuss children’s needs after a disaster, and from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services; Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology; Housing and Urban Developing Coordinating Council.

Balmes said PAG-ASA will discuss the projected weather pattern of Western Visayas,PHILVOCS the geo hazard mapping, and a representative of the Climate Change Climate Change mapping, and the World Vision Disaster Risk Reduction for children and women.

Leonardia will deliver the welcome remarks while Pimentel, who is very passionate about disaster risk reduction, will be the keynote speaker, Balmes said.

Meanwhile, Suarez said educational institutions should be part of this endeavor because schools have programs that might be of help to the government. He said they will have a presentation tomorrow so that they can share to the public the things that can be done during disasters.

Suarez said that after the earthquake, they organized groups that can respond in their own way. They tied up with an organization in Manila called the “Operation Blessing” and were able to send a lot of help to Negros Oriental, he said.*CGS

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