AWARENESS, PREPAREDNESS, KEY TO DISASTER
RISK REDUCTION -- KOKO

Senator Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III today said that disaster risk reduction should be a personal advocacy of every Filipino.

Speaking at the recent Executive Education Program on Multi-Sectoral Responses to Disasters at the Caloocan City Hall in Caloocan City, Pimentel said that the challenges are daunting and the tasks required are almost always heavy.

"The rewards are never quantifiable in money, but a job well done can mean a life saved, and that life can be yours," said Pimentel before a large audience of students, teachers, participants and organizers of the event.

Pimentel said that the swath of destruction and miseries left by deadly typhoons "are grim reminders of the undeniable and inconvenient truth that the Philippines is a disaster prone country".

"The human race is at a crossroad. In the coming days, we will have to make difficult choices that will have lasting impact on our very own survival", he added.

Typhoons Maring and Habagat, he said, are mirror image of their previous siblings, "the equally disastrous Ondoy, Peping, Pablo, Melinyo, Reming and other typhoons whose ruinous fury have indelibly left their mark in our memories".

Pimentel said that in addition to typhoons, the country also suffers every year from the havoc wrought by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, storm surges and the ever changing weather patterns caused by climate change.

He remembered when Ondoy struck in 2009 floodwaters engulfed their residence in Marikina City, but spared, among others, his documents containing the electoral protest he filed which led to his election as senator.

But tragedy struck again in 2011 when Sendong unleashed its full fury in his birthplace in Cagayan de Oro City, claiming 1,430 lives and untold destruction of properties and crops.

Those twin tragedies drove him to organize a Mindanao wide summit on disaster risk reduction and geo-hazard awareness, hoping to convert the participants to become more disaster resilient.

Pimentel said that awareness, preparations and timely action are the bedrocks of disaster risk reduction efforts, saying that people need to know the facts, figures and mechanics and what to do of disaster risk reduction.

He said that disasters could happen anytime that the people should be always prepared on what action to take with sufficient information and knowledge.