ILOILO City – The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) in Western Visayas is gearing up for the anticipated effects of the La Niña phenomenon, which could bring severe flooding to the region. Regional Director Raul Fernandez assured the public of the readiness measures already in place.
Fernandez has been actively visiting various local government units (LGUs) over the past few months to assess and verify their preparedness for the potential harsher impacts of La Niña compared to those of the recent drought-inducing El Niño phenomenon.
“We are prepared. Over the past few months, we’ve visited various LGUs to see their readiness, and they are well-prepared,” Fernandez stated.
He specifically noted the readiness of LGUs in terms of human resources, search and rescue operations, and equipment.
Fernandez has also requested a list of assets and capabilities from the LGUs to identify which areas might need additional support to ensure readiness.
Some LGUs have already strategically prepositioned family food packs in areas likely to be affected by flooding for easier access during emergencies.
The OCD-6 has also prepositioned welfare goods at various strategic locations throughout the region to be used in case a calamity strikes.
Fernandez also announced that key government partners such as the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Philippine National Police (PNP), and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) are ready to augment their forces in search and rescue operations if needed.
The Iloilo provincial government has been proactive as well, with the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office headed by Cornelio Salinas conducting Water Search and Rescue (WASAR) training for 43 participants from various emergency management and safety units to enhance service delivery in their communities during crises.
“The preparation by each local government continues. In fact, the WASAR training in Iloilo and other provinces has just concluded, focusing particularly on water search and rescue operations,” said Fernandez.
To ensure that all concerned government agencies are focused and prepared for La Niña, Fernandez announced that the Regional Task Force on La Niña will be activated in the coming days, similar to previous preparations for El Niño.
The taskforce will include agencies such as the Department of Agriculture, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), PNP, PCG, AFP, and others.
Additionally, Fernandez reassured that sufficient funds are available for responding to La Niña-related emergencies.
“Currently, we have enough funds in case La Niña strikes. In fact, some of our LGUs affected by El Niño opted not to declare a state of calamity to better prepare for La Niña, which is expected to have a more severe impact,” he explained.
This year, the region has already been hit by two major disasters: the El Niño phenomenon, which caused P1.7 billion in damages and affected 1,843,580 individuals, and the eruption of Mount Kanlaon in Negros Island, affecting 33,606 individuals and damaging 2,680 houses.
In response to these disasters, more than P160 million in assistance has been released by OCD-6 along with other agencies, including food and non-food items, livelihood assistance, water distribution, and other forms of aid./PN
