The City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC) has approved a PHP213.7 million investment plan for 2027 to strengthen the city’s disaster preparedness, mitigation and response capabilities, an official said Monday.
The plan allocates PHP149.59 million for disaster risk reduction and management programs and PHP64.11 million for the Quick Response Fund, said Charles Carame, chief of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office.
“We have approved a PHP213.7-million local DRRM Financial Investment Plan for 2027 to further boost our resilience and disaster readiness,” Carame said in an interview.
Of the DRRM program allocation, PHP97.92 million will go to prevention and mitigation, including PHP30 million for integrated geohazard mapping and PHP27 million for the deployment of Community-Based Monitoring System software.
Another PHP6.66 million will fund drainage improvements, climate and air-quality monitoring, and the acquisition of a crawler-type backhoe and dump truck.
The plan also sets aside PHP30.59 million for disaster preparedness, including barangay Incident Command System training, family preparedness workshops, personal protective equipment for students and teachers, and additional equipment for the Baguio City Fire Station, such as self-contained breathing apparatus and thermal imaging cameras.
A multi-hazard risk communication master plan is also included to improve public information and disaster risk communication.
For disaster response, PHP75.11 million is programmed for operational requirements and stockpiling, while PHP10.38 million is earmarked for rehabilitation and recovery, including eight structural repair projects in priority areas such as Bued River, Sto. Tomas Central Slope, Middle Quirino Alley and Teachers’ Camp.
Other initiatives include an off-grid resilience hub, crisis communication training, drainage and slope protection projects, climate and environmental monitoring, child- and women-friendly evacuation spaces, emergency medical preparedness, hazardous materials response capabilities, and disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation programs in public schools.
Mayor Benjamin Magalong, chair of the CDRRMC, said the coordinated investments would strengthen Baguio’s capacity to anticipate, withstand and recover from disasters while supporting its development as a resilience hub. (PNA)
