ROXAS CITY, Capiz – In their effort to institutionalize disaster preparedness programs, the Department of Interior and Local Government is set to recognize local government units through the Seal of Disaster Preparedness award.

DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo announced during his recent visit in Capiz that the DILG will assess the performance and gaps of LGUs in their disaster preparedness programs, according to the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Framework.

Robredo said disaster risk reduction and management is a priority given the growing global concern on climate change.

In his Memorandum Circular No. 2012-79, Robredo pointed out that climate change and other environmental changes have contributed to the sharp increase in the frequency and intensity of calamities, causing untold miseries in the lives of human beings.

"The incidents in the aftermath of typhoon Sendong and the landslide in Pantukan, Compostela Valley, among others, brought into the national consciousness that untold human tragedy is an inescapable effect of ill preparedness," he said.

The Seal of Disaster Preparedness covers two areas of assessment, namely Disaster Preparedness and Disaster Preparedness-Response.

Disaster preparedness is a test of a local government's capability to address the potential effects of disaster to human life as it looks into the administrative requirements such as leadership structure, competence and tools on disaster preparedness.

The Disaster Preparedness-Response criteria look into the capability of the LGU in ensuring basic survival and subsistence needs of the affected population based on acceptable standards during disaster which include, among others, the search and rescue and evacuation center management.

Capiz DILG Provincial Director Helen Mestidio said this move will encourage more LGUs to work hard on disaster preparedness and mitigation initiatives to protect the people in their respective areas.*PIA