The Victorias City government has formalized two memoranda of agreement (MOAs) with the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) and the Negros Association of Chief Executives (Negros ACE) to reinforce disaster preparedness and resilience efforts, in a ceremony held at Nature’s Village Resort in Talisay City, Negros Occidental on Friday, April 11.
The first MOA, signed between the City Government of Victorias and the OCD, aims to strengthen local disaster risk reduction and management efforts.
This partnership marks a significant step in building a more disaster-resilient Victorias.
The signing ceremony was led by Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez and OCD Administrator and National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council Executive Director Ariel Nepomuceno, with Disaster Preparedness Service Director III Caesar Agnir Jr. and Chief Science Research Specialist of University of the Philippines Resilience Institute Jose Abraham Ongkiko.
Vice Mayor Abelardo Bantug III welcomed the attendees, highlighting the importance of the partnership and expressing gratitude to the stakeholders involved.
The agreement sets the foundation for enhanced local capacity in disaster preparedness, emergency response, and technical assistance.
It enables Victorias City to access OCD’s expertise, training programs, and data resources, contributing to a more effective planning and community-based DRRM systems.
In his message, Nepomuceno emphasized the importance of empowering local government units (LGUs) especially in the light of the recent volcanic activity of Mt. Kanlaon.
“Our occasion today is another milestone in the mission of the Office of Civil Defense to further strengthen our partnership with the different sectors of our society, especially the LGUs,” he said.
The second MOA was signed between the OCD and the Negros ACE, which is also headed by Benitez.
This agreement reinforces a province-wide initiative to elevate DRRM standards across all LGUs in Negros Occidental.
It focuses on promoting collaboration, information sharing, and capacity-building among local leaders, with OCD providing technical and operational support to aid in their disaster preparedness and resilience programs.
Benitez expressed gratitude for the partnerships, emphasizing the collective responsibility of the LGUs in safeguarding communities, stating, “Negros ACE leaders will remain united and steadfast in keeping Negrosanons safe.”
“Our vision is that in a few years’ time, Negros will be a model of local resilience,” he added.
Ongkiko presented the best practices in disaster resilience developed in partnership with the OCD. ||
