SEAL OF DISASTER PREPAREDNESS IN LOCAL GOVERNMENTS

Transcription

1 SEAL OF DISASTER PREPAREDNESS IN LOCAL GOVERNMENTS I. Prefatory Statement Upholding the people s constitutional right to life and property is a basic responsibility of the State. The State has the fundamental obligation to protect its citizens through responsible governance. Climate change and other environmental changes have contributed to the sharp increase in the frequency and intensity of calamities, causing untold miseries in the lives of many. Incidents in the aftermath of Typhoon Sendong and the landslide in Pantukan, Compostela Valley, among others, brought into the national consciousness that untold human tragedy is an inescapable effect of ill preparedness. In light of intense phenomena induced by climate change, unplanned development, unrestricted assault on the integrity of the environment and vulnerable livelihood are assurances of human suffering even in the long term. Thus, it is incumbent upon local governments to scale up performance in the context of the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Framework. II. Objectives 1. Establish a benchmark information on disaster preparedness of local governments from which will evolve government interventions to influence a progressive capacity build-up among provinces, cities and municipalities 2. Assess post-intervention disaster preparedness to determine performance gaps that need to be aggressively addressed 3. Incentivize institutionalized disaster preparedness as a proof of official recognition to the valuing by a local government of public safety and welfare

2 III. Coverage of the Seal All provinces, cities and municipalities IV. The Seal of Disaster Preparedness Assessment Criteria are: Leadership Structure and Guide to Action, Operational Readiness, and Innovative Practices, as described below: On Leadership Structure and Guide to Action 1. Compliance to the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010, relative to: (a) Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, created and functional pursuant to the policy standards prescribed by law (i) On Composition Local Chief Executive as Chairperson, with the following as members Head, Planning and Development Office, or equivalent unit Head, LDRRM Office, or equivalent unit Head, Social Welfare and Development Office, or equivalent unit Head, Health Office, or equivalent unit Head, Agriculture Office, or equivalent unit Head, Gender and Development Office, or equivalent unit Head, Engineering Office, or equivalent unit Head, Veterinary Office, equivalent unit Head, Budget Office, equivalent unit Division Superintendent of Schools, DepEd Highest Ranking Officer assigned in the area, AFP Head, Local PNP Head, Local BFP President, Local Liga Ng Mga Barangay Representative, Philippine National Red Cross Representatives (4), Accredited CSOs Representative, Private Sector (ii) Tests of Functionality Approved LDRRM Plan

3 Integration of Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation in the Comprehensive Development Plan, Comprehensive Land Use Plan, Provincial Development and Physical Framework Plan, and Annual Budget Scheme or recommendation of forced or preemptive evacuation of local residents, as may necessary during a disaster Meet once every three (3) months, or as may be necessary (b) Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, created and functional pursuant to the policy standards prescribed by law (i) On Composition The LDRRM Office is under the Office of the Governor, City Mayor or Municipal Mayor, headed by an appointed or designated Officer, assisted by three (3) staff responsible for: Administration and training; Research and planning; and Operations and warning. (ii) Minimum Tests of Functionality Organized, Trained and Equipped Local Emergency Response Teams DRRM Operations Center Multi-hazard early warning system Database on human resource, equipment, directories, and location of critical infrastructures and their capacities Partnerships with the Private Sector, CSOs and Volunteer Groups Partnerships with other LGUs for DRRM and Emergency Response 2. Guide to Action refers to a well communicated and understood Calamity Contingency Plan On Operational Readiness This refers to the Minimum Tests of Readiness immediately before a calamity (a) Regularly Tested Early Warning System (b) Fully Disseminated Family Guide to Action on Warning (c) Regularized Emergency Drills (d) Designated Evacuation Center

4 (e) Pre-Deployed or Location-Specific Assigned Rescue Equipment and Transport (f)organized and Trained Personnel (i) Forced or Preemptive Evacuation (ii) Search and Rescue (iii) Medical and Counseling (iv) Relief Goods Distribution (v) Evacuation Center Management On Innovative Practices This refers to a culture-bound, community or indigenous knowledge or practice on disaster preparedness. V. Appreciation of Assessment Results Every criterion is not assigned a numerical score or weight, thus averaging or indexing is not factored into the assessment. It is simply 1 or 0 for each criterion, that is, PASS or FAIL. Thus, a province, city or municipality MUST PASS ALL CRITERIA to be conferred with the SEAL. VI. Field Test, Launching and Roll-Out: General Procedure 1. Field Test The Seal of Disaster Preparedness is to be field-tested in selected local governments in Regions III and IV-A. The objective is to find out whether the criteria generate information conclusive enough on disaster preparedness. Also, the Forms are to be tested in terms of ease of administration. Timeline 1 st to 3 rd Week of March, Launching This is a DILG-organized event to be done in Quezon City, with full media coverage. A Brochure on the Seal is to be prepared for distribution during the Launch. Timeline 4 th Week of March, Roll-Out This refers to the dissemination of SDP Form 1 (Data Capture Form) and data collection by the DILG Provincial Focal Person, in the case of a province, or by the City Director, City Local Government Operations Officer or Municipal Local Government Operations Officer, in the case of a city or municipality. Data collection requires cross-posting of field personnel within the province or within the region.

5 The DILG Provincial Director assigns data collection area-coverage of City Local Government Operations Officers and Municipal Local Government Operations Officers. The DILG Regional Director determines data collection area-coverage Provincial Directors and City Directors. The duly accomplished Form 1 from component cities and municipalities are to be submitted to the DILG Provincial Office. For provinces, highly urbanized cities and independent component cities, duly accomplished Form 1 are to be submitted to the DILG Regional Office. Timeline 2 nd Week of April to 1 st Week of May, Table Assessment and Validation The information generated through the Seal is to be subjected to further assessment and validation at three (3) levels- provincial, regional and national. Provincial Table Assessment and Validation Duly accomplished Form 1 from DILG City and Municipal Offices are to be further assessed to ensure completeness of information. Component cities and municipalities that pass the criteria are subject to validation. The Provincial Director organizes a Team of Validators composed of province-based DILG Field Officers. In order to ensure data credibility, reliability and acceptability, validation in collaboration with government accredited or registered Civil Society Organizations is non-negotiable. Form to use is SDP Form 2 (Provincial Validation Form). Timeline 2 nd Week of May to 2 nd Week of June, 2012 Regional Table Assessment and Validation Duly accomplished Form 1 from DILG Provincial, HUC and ICC Field Offices are to be further assessed to ensure completeness of information.

6 Provinces, highly urbanized cities, independent component cities, component cities and municipalities that pass the criteria are subject to regional validation. The Regional Director organizes a Team or Teams of Validators composed of region-based DILG Personnel. In order to ensure data credibility, reliability and acceptability, validation in collaboration with government accredited or registered Civil Society Organizations is non-negotiable. Form to use is SDP Form 3 (Regional Validation Form). Timeline 3 rd Week of June to 3 rd Week of August, 2012 All validated results are to be submitted to the DILG Central Office through the Bureau of Local Government Supervision. Form to use is SDP Form 4 (Regional Validation Report Form). National Table Assessment and Validation All submitted SDP Form 4, with all the prescribed Supporting Documents, are further reviewed to ensure the completeness of information and the correct appreciation of assessment results. The BLGS may undertake a validation of results through a crossfunctional Team or Teams of Validators, with representatives of duly accredited Civil Society Organizations as members. SDP Form to use is SDP Form 5 (National Validation Form). Timeline 4 th Week of August to 4 th Week of September, Conferment of the Seal All qualified local governments are to be conferred with the Seal of Disaster Preparedness in an appropriate DILG-organized event. Timeline October, 2012 VII. General Orientation and Communication Strategy Prior to the roll-out, all DILG Regional Directors, Regional Focal Persons and Provincial Focal Persons must be informed through a Department-organized learning-event. Experience through the Seal of Good House Keeping heightens the value of the Orientation. Timeline within the 3 rd and 4 th of March. A Communication Strategy must be developed to inform, accentuating on the benefits of whole-scale disaster preparedness.

7 VIII. Incentivizing Commitment to Disaster Preparedness The Seal of Disaster Preparedness is linked to an Incentive Fund, subject of a separate Guidelines. IX. Schedule of Activities ACTIVITY SCHEDULE Field Test 1 st 3 rd Week of March, 2012 Launch 4 th Week of March, 2012 Roll-Out 2 nd Week of April to 1 st Week of May, 2012 Provincial Validation Regional Validation National Validation Conferment of the Seal 2 nd Week of May to 2 nd Week of June 3 rd Week of June to 3 rd Week of August 4 th Week of August to 4 th Week of September October