Former Secretary of National Defense and senatorial candidate Gilbert ‘Gibo’ Teodoro has emphasized the need for local government units (LGUs) to prioritize disaster preparedness to reduce risks and damages during natural calamities.
Gibo Teodoro, also the former Chairman of the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC), made the statement following the landslide in Leyte due to Typhoon Agaton, which claimed the lives of over a hundred residents, with more people residing at the foot of a mountain where the landslide happened are still missing.
“The LGUs, together with the national government, have to review their risk reduction management and update emergency response plans. They need to prioritize and intensify investment in this aspect to protect lives, property, industries, livelihood, and jobs,” the former Tarlac congressman and 1989 Bar topnotcher said.
Gibo Teodoro said that disaster preparedness programs of LGUs should be tailored fit for the situation on the ground, and not just a ‘copy’ of plans from other countries.
The senatorial candidate has also proposed to increase the share of LGUs’ budget allocation for disaster risk reduction and management, especially those LGUs that are vulnerable to natural disasters. Likewise, the national government has to invest in the necessary and resilient infrastructures in these LGUs.
