PINUKPUK, Kalinga – The Humanity and Inclusion Philippines, and Adventist Development and Relief Agency (HIP-ADRA) recently distributed early warning kits to 23 barangays of this town as part of efforts to strengthen their disaster risk reduction preparedness.
The early warning kit is composed of megaphones, whistles, bell medals, radios (AM/FM), flashlights, headlamps, utility boxes, ponchos, reflectorized vests, sets of communication and instructional cards, and flaglets.
The audio and visual devices will be used in giving warning and disseminating information to persons with visual, hearing, intellectual, and communication disabilities, a component of the Empowering Municipalities, Barangays, Civil Society Organizations, and People’s Organizations through Working Together to Enhance Disaster and Climate Risk Governance (Empower) Project.
Mayor Irving Dasayon, in his message during the distribution on Dec. 4, said “The early warning devices that were provided will be of great help to our communities to prepare for a hazard that will come such as typhoon. They can save lives, help protect properties and livelihood of our people.”
Geraldina Gutierrez, Empower project manager, said, “Early warning system of every community should be inclusive, accessible and should reach all citizens including persons with disability as often most of our warning system lack access to appropriate and disability-inclusive disaster risk information – as a result of lack of inclusive disaster risk strategies in our risk reduction including early warning systems, persons with disabilities are more likely to succumb in a disaster situation.”
Empower is a 30-month joint project of HIP-ADRA supported by the European Union, which aims to strengthen the resilience of high-risk communities by reinforcing civil society relevance in disaster and climate risk governance.
It has two key outcomes: Strengthening the capacities of CSOs and other stakeholders so that they are empowered to participate meaningfully in local governance and strengthening the disaster and climate risk systems in Pinukpuk so that disaster and climate risk governance become more inclusive and accessible as a result of improved transparency and accountability.
A follow-up activity will be conducted for the setting-up of inclusive early warning systems in the barangays to further enhance their capacities in preparing for future disaster and climate risks. – Peter A. Balocnit
