The Department of Interior and Local Government has launched the Seal of Disaster Preparedness for Floods, which aims to recognize the performance and efforts of local governments in institutionalizing measures against floods, its press release said yesterday.

DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo said the Seal will be conferred on an LGU that demonstrates an acceptable level of disaster preparedness and response before and during floods, as an official symbol of excellence.

The SDP program means not only the giving of incentives to LGUs that fared well on disaster preparedness, but also assessing the performance gaps, providing policy or program intervention based on the identified gaps, and monitoring performance progress, he added in the press release.

Initial assessment for the SDP will include the provinces, cities and towns identified as high risk to flooding. Records show that from 2009 to 2011 alone, more than P55 billion worth of infrastructure and properties were damaged by tropical storms “Ondoy”, “Pepeng” and “Sendong”, mostly in Cagayan de Oro City, Iligan City, and Negros Oriental, the press release also said.

The Seal will have two assessment levels: the first will look into disaster preparedness before a flood occurs, and the second focuses on the response during a disaster brought about by a high intensity flood.

To be assessed in the first level are the leadership structure; guide to action or risk assessment, mapping, and budgeting; and contingency planning, early warning and evacuation alert system. The second includes search and rescue; evacuation center management or the adequate temporary shelter for evacuees, power, food and water supply, health and sanitation, counseling; and trained center management personnel, the press release added.*

back to top