OCD conducts trainings on flood early warning system in South Leyte
Tacloban City (September 10) -- A series of trainings will be conducted in the Province of Southern Leyte on the Community Based Flood Early Warning System (CBFEWS) component of the UNDP-OCD Ready Project dubbed as Hazards Mapping and Assessment for Community Based Disaster Risk Management, Office of Civil Defense Region 8 Director Salvador Estudillo informed.
Director Estudillo said that the Training of Observers and Local Government Units and the Dry Run or Pilot Testing of the Community Based Flood Early Warning System will be conducted by clusters in Southern Leyte from September 11 to September 19.
Director Estudillo said that on September 11-12, the training will be held at the Sts. Peter and Paul Multi-Purpose Cooperative Training Center at Bangcas B, Hinunangan, Southern Leyte. This will be attended by the 38 participants from Anahawan, Hinunangan, Hinindayan, San Juan, Silago and St. Bernard.
On September 13 to 14, the same training will be conducted at Sogod Bay Lodge, G. Ruiz St., Sogod, Southern Leyte with the 54 participants from Bontoc, Liloan, Pintuyan, San Francisco, San Ricardo, Sogod and Tomas Oppus attending.
From September 18-19, about 32 participants from the City of Maasin, and the Municipalities of Macrohon, Malitbog and Padre Burgos are expected to attend the same training at Col Ruperto Kangleon Convention Center in Maasin City.
Director Estudillo said that the Training Team will be composed of OCD, PAGASA and Mines and Geosciences Bureau of DENR.
Among the topics are Hydro-meteorological Hazards, the Overview of Project READY and Flood Hazards Mapping. Director Estudillo added that lectures and hands-on training on Rainfall Observation for manual and digital raingauge, Water Level Observations and Operation of the Community Based Flood Early Warning System will be conducted by PAGASA.
The second day of the training will the conduct of the Dry Run and Pilot testing which will be assessed by OCD and the host LGU.
The READY Project aims to address the problem of Disaster Risk Management at the local level, Director Estudillo informed. To achieve this, both national and local initiatives are necessary.
For the National Level, the initiative is to institutionalize and standardize Disaster Risk Management measures and processes and for the Community Level, the initiative needed is the empowerment of the most vulnerable municipalities and cities in the country.
The READY Project has already covered the provinces of Surigao del Sur and Surigao del Norte in 2006. For the year 2007, the province of Leyte has been already been covered. Other provinces which will be covered in 2007 are Southern Leyte, Bohol, Aurora, Pampanga and Cavite. (PIA 8) [top]
