Identified as among the 27 high risk provinces of the country in terms of natural disaster, Zamboanga del Sur now adopts the Hazards Mapping and Assessment for Effective Community-Based Disaster Risk Management (READY) project.

Project READY was launched on April 4 at Hotel Alindahaw as Governor Auring E. Cerilles convened the Provincial Disaster and Coordinating Council (PDCC) to meet retired Army General Glenn Rabonza, administrator of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) and concurrent Executive Officer of the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) along with the officials and technical specialists from PAGASA-DOST, PHIVOLCS-DOST, and National Mapping Resource and Information Authority (NAMRIA-DENR). 

In a briefing, Phivolcs Associate Scientist Dr. Maria Leonila Bautista informed Governor Cerilles along with the 8 municipal mayors present, two vice mayors and heads of offices that  Zamboanga del Sur is more prone to tsunami rather than other disasters as it is within the 5 tectonic settings, namely: Sulu trench, Cotabato trench, NorthWestern Mindanao Collision Zone, Mindanao fault and Zamboanga fault system.

Baustista accounted three devastating tsunamis ever struck the country which affected Zamboanga del Sur.  First, was on Sept. 21, 1897 which originated from Sulu sea; Second, the August 15, 1918 that caused more destruction in Cotabato, Lebak, Glan towards Celebes sea, and, third, was the August 16, 1976 tsunami caused by a Moro Gulf earthquake which claimed thousands of lives of Zambosurians.

Project READY started in 2006 to end by 2011.  For 2008 or phase 3, Zamboanga del Sur is the 5th of the 7 provinces to be imparted by the project.  It has done in Surigao Sur and Norte during phase 1, Southern Leyte and Leyte in phase 2. 

Seeing the importance of the project to her province, Governor Cerilles prefer the launching of the READY on top of joining President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on her birthday celebration on that day.  Cerilles admitted to the OCD officials that she and the President were close friends since college days.  In fact, the President, herself, graced her own birthday last September 17 last year in time of the Founding Anniversary of Zamboanga del Sur.

Dismayed to find out that among the 26 municipal mayors and a city mayor, only 8 mayors attended the launching,  Cerilles then emphasized that those who were present will be rewarded.  She told Rabonza to prioritize the conduct of hazard mapping and risk assessment in municipalities of the mayors present, as follows: Dumalinao (Mayor Ace William Cerilles-president of the league of municipalities-ZDS), Molave (Mayor Flavio Saniel, Jr) whose town is prone to flood, Lakewood (Domingo Mirrar) with a lake situated in the high mountain, Kumalarang (Mayor Allan Damas) adjacent below Lakewood, Ramon Magsaysay with Mayor Pacifico Bulahan, Jr., Dinas of Mayor Wilfredo Asoy, Sr., and San Pablo of Mayor Belman Mantos.

Other municipalities represented were Dumingag with Vice Mayor Michael Morpos, Vincenzo Sagun with Vice Mayor Felipe Codium, Tambulig with municipal social welfare and development officer, Labangan with human resource management officer, San Miguel with municipal agriculturist while Pagadian City was represented by the Patrol 117 Emergency Officer Asuri Hawani.

Governor Auring was elated that Project READY came to her province before the calamity strikes for them to prepare.  She thanked OCD Regional Director Adriano Fuego for facilitating the project to be introduced in Zamboanga del Sur.  Finally, she urged the mayors to be supportive with this project so as to get prepared in case a natural calamity comes to their area of concern.

Last update : 17-04-2008 14:25

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