The provincial government of Negros Occidental yesterday led the observance of the National Disaster Resilience Month with the first ever Disaster Risk Reduction Management (DRRM) Expo at Ayala Malls Capitol Central in Bacolod City.
Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson, Board Member Samson Mirhan, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz, and Provincial Disaster Management Program chief Zeaphard Caelian, led the ribbon-cutting ceremony that marked the official opening of the expo, which was joined by DRRM representatives from the different cities and municipalities of the province.
The event is in accordance with Executive Order 29 series of 2017 that emphasized the need to promote disaster resilience by adapting and recovering to the effects of hazards.
“While the preparedness of the government is of fundamental importance, the key to resiliency involves to a great extent the people’s consciousness and cooperation in disaster risk reduction,” Lacson, in his speech, said.
“Communities must be very capable of helping each other. It is with this reason that the Provincial Government enables to strengthen the capabilities of community intervention, preparedness, and mitigation,” Lacson added.
He also said that it is the people’s consciousness, cooperation and change in their norms and behaviors that will play the most important role in managing disasters, especially that the country is located along the Typhoon Belt and the Ring of Fire.
The DRRM Expo started with a caravan along major streets of Bacolod City.
The expo also showcased exhibits from the Philippine National Police, 303rd Infantry Brigade Philippine Army, Philippine Coast Guard, Bureau of Fire Protection, and the Philippine Red Cross.
Along with the exhibit are DRRM lectures that will be spearheaded by different emergency responding agencies from July 4 to July 10, a press statement from the Capitol said.*
