• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson has urged local chief executives to revisit their respective disaster risk reduction and management protocols to avoid loss of lives.
He issued the call as he administered the oath-taking of the new set of officers of the Negros Association of Chief Executives (ACE) at the Provincial Capitol Social Hall in Bacolod City yesterday.
Lacson said the recent flooding in many areas of Negros Occidental, which claimed the lives of six persons, reminded again of the unpredictability and force of nature.
“This painful loss calls us to action,” the governor said, stressing that disaster response begins long before a calamity strikes.
“Let us invest not just in equipment and infrastructure, but planning and above all, coordination across all levels of government. If there is something wrong with the DRRM protocols, then it should be corrected,” he added.
Cadiz City Mayor Salvador Escalante Jr., the newly-elected Negros ACE president, expressed his full support to the call of the governor, saying they should have already done it many years ago.
Escalante proposed a province-wide re-assessment of disaster response mechanisms among local government units (LGUs) to identify areas for improvement and ensure effective disaster.
The recent southwest monsoon enhanced by Tropical Storm Crising led to flooding in 18 LGUs of Negros Occidental, affecting more than 100,000 residents.
Lacson also said the province will strengthen its resolve towards cleaner and more sustainable energy sources in answer to the growing demand to reduce the province’s carbon footprint and embrace energy resilience.
He said the provincial government will soon start solarizing some of its buildings as he hoped that LGUs will consider doing the same.
“It is time we take a step forward towards the future we envision – one that is renewable, reliable, affordable, available, and sustainable. And the best way to start this is through our government offices,” he added.
Escalante said the LGUs are a perfect scenario since its offices operate during daytime only, noting that Cadiz City has already started to adopt the solar technology.
“We are one, we are in agreement with the proposal of the governor,” he said. | GB
