The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) has distributed P5 million worth of equipment and other disaster-related items to local officials of Batanes province as part of the preparations for the La Niña phenomenon.
Batanes is known to be a “usual” path of strong typhoons and OCD administrator Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno said the donation is part of the effort to capacitate the disaster response capabilities of the local government units (LGUs).
“We are now preparing for the rainy season and La Nina. Batanes is prone to strong typhoons and is always isolated. The key is pre-positioning adequate relief goods and equipment so these will be available immediately when they need them,” said Nepomuceno.
“The Local Government Units are at the frontline during emergencies. They are the first to help. That is why we need to empower them by enhancing their capabilities through various ways like this [augmentation of supplies],” he added.
Nepomuceno said the non-food items include family packs, shelter repair kits, hygiene kits, and ropes and were received by Batanes Governor Marilou Cayco.
Nepomuceno also met with the municipal mayors of Batanes and discussed various DRRM concerns in their respective areas of responsibility.