The Office of Civil Defense in the Cordillera Administrative Region (OCD-CAR) urged local government units (LGUs) across the region to invest more in disaster preparedness as this saves both lives and property.

OCD-CAR Regional Director and Cordillera Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC) Chair Albert Mogol on Thursday reminded local chief executives that the Local Government Code of 1991 and the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010 mandate them to develop and implement disaster preparedness plans.

“The Local Government Code has given LGUs autonomy, and one of their crucial tasks is to craft plans for their disaster preparedness,” Mogol said in an interview.

He also stressed that disaster funds allotted by LGUs must be utilized for their intended purpose, not kept as savings.

The Cordillera region, composed of six provinces—Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga, and Mountain Province—and the cities of Baguio and Tabuk, has 75 municipalities in total.

Mogol praised LGUs that allocate additional funds to strengthen their preparedness efforts.

He revealed that 175 disaster prevention and recovery projects worth over PHP3 billion remain pending with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). These include river embankments, farm-to-market roads, concrete pavements, and flood control rehabilitation projects.

“This is the best time of the year to start these projects since no strong typhoons are expected for the rest of the year,” he said, expressing hope that the DPWH central office would soon give the go signal.

Meanwhile, OCD-CAR Finance Management Services chief Guadaliva Panitio reminded newly elected mayors to integrate disaster planning into their overall development plans, citing the Philippines’ ranking as number one globally in the World Risk Index for exposure and vulnerability to disasters. (PNA)