As the most basic unit of government, barangays play a vital role in disaster preparedness and prevention due to their local knowledge, quick response capabilities, and engagement with communities.
As the country is set to hold the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections on October 30, the first since 2018, disaster risk reduction officials reminded the public and candidates of the importance of disaster prevention and preparedness that should be among the platforms to be considered during the polls, as it is important in building resilient and secure communities.
“Those running for office or wish to be reelected, this is a good opportunity to strengthen the institutionalization of our prevention and mitigation efforts,” National Resilience Council executive director Silvestre Barrameda Jr. said in the sidelines of “Barangayan Para sa Kalikasan at Batang Matatag” forum.
Department of Environment and Natural Resources Undersecretary Carlos Primo David also stressed that disaster preparedness, early warning systems, and suitable technology for flood mitigation should be the top priority for barangays.
The Philippines has over 42,000 barangays, spread across 145 cities and 1,489 municipalities.
DENR Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga pointed out that barangays are “most vulnerable” to extreme events and that multiple hazards are also “most likely to be underinvested in,” putting them more at risk.
“Local governments need to be engaged in the crafting of context-specific and responsive policies, programs and actions that put people and the environment that sustains them first,” she said.
As we consider our candidates in the upcoming polls, let us ask them these questions to see what their priorities are, and hopefully it will help us separate the wheat from the chaff. Candidates that can only answer with generics and motherhood statements likely are in it only for the position and the power, focused on themselves and their political trajectory rather than genuine public service for their immediate neighbors.
It is time we put the BSKE candidates to a higher standard, and disaster preparedness and prevention is but one of the many critical topics and issues that need to be discussed with them if given the opportunity.
Let us not shirk our responsibility to properly evaluate the priorities, vision, qualifications, and competency of these candidates this time, as the barangays we live in will be directly affected by the quality of leadership we put in place.*
