Victorias Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez called the Negros and Siquijor Island Region Disaster Risk Reduction Management Summit at the Victorias City Command and Evacuation Center on Friday, July 26, a historic event.
“The safety and welfare of our people, the security of our economies, and our future depend on our collective action as one region,” said Benitez, in his speech.
The summit organized by the Alliance of Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officers in Negros Island Inc. (ADDRMONI) was their first since President Ferdinand Marcos signed the creation of the Negros Island Region into law in June.
The summit was held to unify efforts for a one disaster resilient region, ADDRMONI president Jose Yusay III said. The event was joined by 126 delegates.
“I believe with the strong alliance and collaboration in our region we can all achieve so much more in our respective cities and municipalities,” Benitez said.
He stressed the need to build a future where disaster risk reduction and management is not just a policy, but a way of life.
“Let us transform vulnerability into strength, despair into hope, and build a Negros-Siquijor Island Region that can stand against any calamity, storm, or disaster,” Benitez said.
The event was held at the P55 million Victorias City Command and Evacuation Center that can accommodate 700 to 1,000 people during a calamity.
“Under our Disaster Resilient Community Agenda, we inaugurated the Victorias City Command and Evacuation Center equipped with state-of-the-art facilities for efficient monitoring and swift emergency response”, Benitez said.
The command center monitors video feeds from 140 CCTV cameras located throughout Victorias, Benitez said, adding that these will be increased to 220.
In Victorias they are implementing measures to proactively mitigate risks and prepare for the inevitable, he said.
“This is why we invest so much in prevention because preparedness is always paramount,” he said.
They also launched Project VECTOR or the Victorias Emergency and Crisis Tactical Operation and Response, an umbrella platform that aims to equip communities to be crisis and emergency-ready at all times, he said.
Among their major DRRM projects are a drainage masterplan, installation of early warning systems in strategic locations within the city, and turnover of several disaster response management resources such as water tankers, patient transport vehicles, dinghy boats, ambulances, man lifts, tow trucks, and generators, Benitez said.*