The government's economic advisers want local governments to "build back better" after serious calamities.
“Ready to Rebuild” is a capacity- building program organized by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), Office of Civil Defense, and the World Bank, to enhance the post-disaster recovery preparedness of local governments units (LGUs).
EMPHASIZING the need to rebuild better structures than they were during their pre-disaster conditions, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) wants the local government units to develop and implement post-disaster rehabilitation and recovery plans and programs to be at the forefront of their recovery initiatives.
“The year 2020 started with the eruption of Taal volcano, and ended with consecutive typhoons, Quinta, Rolly, and Ulysses and accompanying floods,” said Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua during the recent launch of Ready to Rebuild Training Program.
“Aggravating the impact of these natural disasters is the COVID-19 pandemic. These led to billions worth of government resources being spent for cash assistance, rehabilitation, and reconstruction efforts,” he aded.
“More than that, they have also resulted in the irreversible loss of lives and livelihoods”.
“Ready to Rebuild” is a capacity- building program organized by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), Office of Civil Defense, and the World Bank, to enhance the post-disaster recovery preparedness of local governments units (LGUs).
NEDA formulated the Disaster Rehabilitation and Recovery Planning Guide, building on the lessons of Typhoon Yolanda, the Marawi siege and other disasters that affected the country.
This was adopted by the NDRRMC in 2019 and serves as the basis for the “Ready to Rebuild” training program.
The guide promotes the principle of “build back better” that entails not only restoring communities to their pre-disaster conditions, but also developing more resilient physical and social infrastructure.
With this, the NEDA chief hopes that the guide would not only serve as a reference for capacity building, but also aid agencies and LGUs in taking steps towards disaster resiliency.
“We need to make our communities more resilient in the face of disasters or pandemics to enable our people to recover and return to their normal lives in a faster, safer, and better way. LGUs are at the forefront of any recovery and rebuilding initiative. I encourage LGUs to adopt and institutionalize this training program,” Chua said.
(RdlC)