The Cordillera Disaster Response and Development Services Inc. (CorDisRDS Inc.) has successfully conducted a Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plan (BDRRMP) updating workshop with barangay officials from the partner barangays of CorDisRDS’s ongoing project, Project INCREASE.
The event was attended by local barangay executives and representatives from Barangays Chupac, Kaleo, Lunas and Ogo-og in the municipality of Barlig and Barangays Balangao and Alunogan in the municipality of Natonin. The workshop was held last August 17-19 in Tengab Pastoral Center Bontoc, Mountain Province.
The three day activity was designed to help and assist the project’s partner barangays in updating their existing respective BDRRMPs by capacitating the barangay officials on how to formulate their BDRRMPs. Furthermore, the activity only focused on the updating a few sections of the BDRRMP which were the main outputs of the workshop. The updated sections of each partner barangays BDRRMP would then be further developed by the barangay officals themselves in order for them to formulate a complete BDRRMP.
Barangay Officials from Project INCREASE during the three day BDRRMP updating workshop.
One section that was updated during the activity was the identification of the Programs, Projects and Activities (PPAs) of each barangay related to the four thematic areas of Disaster Risk Reduction Management (DRRM) namely; Prevention and Mitigation; Preparedness; Disaster Response; and Rehabilitation and Recovery. The participants had successfully identified appropriate PPAs for their barangays which would be implemented in the next few years.
Engineer Joseph Padcayan, the Assistant Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Officer, gave a short welcoming message in the event. He said that the barangays should take advantage and attend similar activities initiated by the private sectors and Non Government Organisations (NGOs) specially in these times where the provincial and municipal government are concentrating their efforts on the COVID-19 pandemic.
CorDisRDS Inc Board of Trustees Vice Chairperson Ruth Batani and Executive Director Jimmy Khayog also attended the activity albeit virtually wherein they gave their inspiring messages to the participants. Ma’am Ruth reiterated the importance of partnership building and networking as this could lead to the development of the community. Meanwhile Mr. Khayog challenged the participants in striving for the best. He cited the former project area of CorDisRDS, Barangay Kayan West, Tadian, Mountain Province wherein the barangay had been awarded as the best barangay in the whole municipality in their efforts in DRRM for three successive years.