Never in the history of our country we experienced the level of importance being given to Disaster Peparedness, both in the national and local level.  And we can credit that to Republic Act No. 10121, known as the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) Act of 2010, is an act mandated to strengthen disaster management in the Philippines, a country prone to natural hazards. We made a huge leap of transition from PD 1566 (1978) mere response approach to RA 10121 (2010) preparedness approach in Disaster Management.

RA 10121 objectives:  to develop a framework  that will enable the national government, the local government units, and other stakeholders to build communities that can survive disasters.

But RA 10121 to be effective, it needs the solid participation of the community and it’s people must be existent. DRRM must be looked at as program, it must be engrained in the psche of every individual. It must not be seasonal.  Disaster Preparedness must be part of our daily life, ever conscious of the everyday risks present around our environment.  And transforming every home as an ideal Disaster Preparedness jump-off point.

We must transform every Filipino family’s mind set, from just an ordinary basic unit of the society, but as a mitigating core in DRRM, only then we can fully realize the essence and value of RA 10121.

By: ANTHONY S. BLISS