Majority of Region 8 areas fail to draft La Niña plan - DILG

TACLOBAN CITY, June 27 (PNA) -– Only 62 out of 149 provinces, cities and towns in Eastern Visayas have met the deadline for the submission preparedness plan of La Niña that will likely hit the country in the second half of 2016, the Department of the Interior and Local Government reported.

The submission of the plan is part of DILG’s directive to all provincial governors, city and town mayors to take precautionary measures in their respective areas of responsibility.

Adrian Colasito, assistant chief of the DILG regional office local government monitoring and evaluation division, said they are stepping up efforts to follow up local government units (LGUs) to submit the plan.

“We’re trying to complete the gathering of plans of LGUs even after the deadline because we have to be ready before the peak of La Niña,” Colasito said.

Of the six provinces, only the provincial governments of Eastern Samar and Northern Samar have completed their plan for the abnormal rainy season.

Among seven cities in the region, only Tacloban and Ormoc in Leyte, Maasin in Southern Leyte, and Borongan in Eastern Samar came up with preparedness plan.

Of the 136 towns in the region, only 56 drafted their plan. These are Cabucgayan, Caibiran, 

Kawayan, Maripipi, and Naval in Biliran province; Arteche, Balangiga, Balangkayan, Can-avid, Gen. Macarthur, Giporlos, Guiuan, Hernani, Jipapad, Llorente, Maslog, Maydolong, Salcedo, San Julian, San Policarpo, Sulat, and Taft in Eastern Samar province.

Bato, Carigara, Hilongos, Javier, La Paz, Tabango, Tolosa, and Villaba in Leyte province; Allen, Bobon, Laoang, Las Navas, Lope de Vega, Mondragon, Palapag, San Jose, San Roque, San San Vicente, and Silvino Lobos in Northern Samar province

Daram and Zumarraga in Samar province; Anahawan, Hinunangan, Hinundayan, Liloan, Limasawa, Macrohon, Malitbog, Pintuyan, St. Bernard, San Juan, Silago, Sogod, and Tomas Oppus in Southern Leyte province.

Office of the Civil Defense Regional Director Edgar Posadas emphasized the importance of coming up with La Niña preparedness plan.

“The local plan will guide national government agencies. We need know what are their strengths and weaknesses so we will know what kind of assistance they will need during disasters,” said Posadas, chairman of the Regional Disaster and Risk Reduction Management Council.

According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), the current El Nino is already in its decaying stage and there is a possible rise of La Nina during the second half of 2016.

PAGASA particularly warned the provinces of Isabela, Quezon, Samar, Leyte, Surigao, Agusan and Bicol of the developing La Niña. (PNA)
FFC/SQM