Representatives from the city’s 182 barangays attended the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Town Hall session, spearheaded by the Davao City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO), on July 1.
The event was the kick off activity for the celebration of the National Disaster Resilience Month 2025 with the theme “KUMIKILOS: Kayang Umaksyon ng Mamamayan na Isabuhay ang Kahandaan ng Bawat Isa Para Maging Ligtas sa Oras ng Sakuna.”
Attending the forum were barangay officials and functionaries. Focal persons of the local government offices that are part of the city’s DRRM council also attended the event along with representatives from the Department of Interior and Local Government and the Department of Education.
Pre-emptive evacuation, Climate and Disaster Risk Assessment (CDRA) for resilient communities, the city’s zoning ordinance and its implementation, and Camp Coordination and Camp Management during evacuation were among the topics discussed during the session.
The “Listo si Kap” disaster preparedness program for barangays was also discussed during the forum which aims to improve local resilience through organized and systematic DRRM.
Acting City Mayor Sebastian Duterte, in a message read by CDRRMO Head Alfredo Baloran, thanked the CDRRMO for organizing the session that also served as an opportunity to reinforce the city’s disaster preparedness and discuss key issues on barangay DRRM funds, as well as the roll out of the Listo si Kap program.
He also highlighted the importance of a sustainable disaster risk reduction and mitigation program to create and maintain a disaster resilient Davao City.
“Disaster risk reduction and mitigation remains to be one of the key priorities of the city government. As such, we continue to carry out comprehensive action plans and programs to increase disaster resiliency, promote sustainable practices, and mitigate the impact of disaster in our community,” Duterte said.
“Through this session, we hope to create linkage with various stakeholders and discuss efficient strategies that will enhance our efforts to ensure the safety and security of all barangays and all districts of Davao City,” he added.
Baloran, in an interview, said that following the town hall session, several activities in line with the National Disaster Resilience Month are set to take place in the coming days.
There will be a bloodletting activity on July 4, followed by trainings that are anchored on the city’s push to further improve disaster preparedness. A tree planting activity set on August 1 to cap the celebration.
The fifth city-wide shakeout drill is also set to take place on July 22.
“We are looking forward nga makita nato kung naa’y mga improvements sa atoang preparedness in times of naa’y mga earthquake, naa’y tsunami nga mahitabo or storm surge, makita pud nato diha. We’ll have to execute the evacuation procedures para sa atoang kaigsuonan nga naa dira nagpuyo sa mga low-lying areas especially sa mga barangays nga naa sa coastal areas sa Davao City because we have 26 barangays nga naa sa coastal areas (Through this drill, we’ll be able to assess if there are improvements in our preparedness in times of earthquakes, tsunami or storm surge. We’ll also execute the evacuation procedures for the residents who live in low-lying areas, especially in the 26 barangays located in the city’s coastal area),” he said.
Baloran also reminded Dabawenyos to always prepare for emergency situations and calamities since the city is prone to calamities, and is currently experiencing localized thunderstorms that cause heavy rain, street flooding, riverine flood, and creek overflows. CIO