Dear brothers and sisters in Pangasinan – 

I urge Governor Amado Espino and other political and government leaders, the education sector and civil societies to take the lessons from the devastation of the towns in Davao Oriental to heart.

While I am aware of the efficiency that the various Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils in the province have been proven, there is much more to be done to ensure the protection of our communities in the province.

Note that the reported damages and loss of lives could have been minimized if only the communities had been fully informed of the impact of typhoon Pablo. Reports from the field indicate that warnings by government agencies were not taken seriously by the populace only because knew little about what geohazard maps represent.

In this regard, I urge the mayors to initiate an intensive information campaign on the features of the geohazard maps, starting with our college and secondary school students and pupils in the primary level.

Mere press releases can’t work to explain a technology. It must be physically demonstrated and explained by knowledgeable experts, to the extent of using computers. The students can be expected to teach other members of the family after their full orientation in schools.

LGUs and civil societies can help by providing the computers and access to internet in all the schools.

The problem is not in the lack of effort to prepare our people prepare for disasters in their own little way. The problem is in the lack of knowledge on where to access and how to utilize the technology we currently have. Without knowledge, we become vulnerable.

What happened in Mindanao shows us that many still have not learned the right lessons that should have been learned after Reming, Ondoy, and Pepeng.

I pray Pangasinan will be spared any calamity.

 

Sincerely,

Alan

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