Council calls for stronger disaster response teamwork

THE deaths and destruction left by Tropical Storm Enteng in some regions in Luzon and the Visayas have prompted a sectoral body to call for stronger collaboration in enhancing plans of action for disaster preparedness.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Victims of Disasters and Calamities Sectoral Council (VDCSC) of the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) called on national government agencies and local units, as well as civil society organizations (CSOs) to closely work together in improving community-based disaster risk response and mitigation programs.

Mainly, the VDCSC suggests that close partnerships in matters of disaster preparedness should be established between concerned government line agencies and CSOs to improve local communities' preparedness and disaster-mitigation interventions.

Particularly, the VDCSC sees the need for close collaboration among the Department of Agriculture, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Public Works and Highways, Department of Social Welfare and Development, and other member agencies of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) in strengthening CSO engagement in community-based disaster risk response.

Storm Enteng, according to the NAPC-VDCSC, hit hard communities in Luzon and the Visayas, especially low-lying urban areas, danger zones, and coastal regions.

«VDCSC member organizations and other non-state actors have been providing micro-grants for livelihood recovery to the most vulnerable groups, but we know it's not enough,» sectoral representative Regina Salvador-Antequisa said.

Residents of Cainta, Rizal wade through waist-deep floods as Typhoon Enteng batters the province on Monday, September 2, 2024. PHOTOS BY JOHN ORVEN VERDOTE Residents of Cainta, Rizal wade through waist-deep floods as Typhoon Enteng batters the province on Monday, September 2, 2024. PHOTOS BY JOHN ORVEN VERDOTE Residents of Cainta, Rizal wade through waist-deep floods as Typhoon Enteng batters the province on Monday, September 2, 2024. PHOTOS BY JOHN ORVEN VERDOTE Residents of Cainta, Rizal wade through waist-deep floods as Typhoon Enteng batters the province on Monday, September 2, 2024. PHOTOS