A proposed provincial ordinance seeks to establish a standardized Disaster Risk Reduction and Management in Health (DRRM-H) system across Benguet to guarantee dedicated funding and streamline local emergency responses.
Introduced by Board Member Mary Joy Sabo-Fermin during the Sangguniang Panlalawigan’s regular meeting Monday, the proposed provincial ordinance (SP12-86) will formalize health emergency frameworks at the provincial level to complement existing municipal programs.
“Ang ginagawa lang natin, gusto natin ma-institutionalize yung DRRM-H ng province para ma-strengthen ito at hoping na medyo may regular siyang makukuha na budget para ma-sustain din natin yung mga program a(What we are doing is we want to institutionalize the province’s DRRM-H to strengthen it, hoping it secures a regular budget to sustain our programs),” Sabo-Fermin said.
While all 13 municipalities in Benguet maintain DRRM-H mechanisms through their Rural Health Units, Sabo-Fermin noted that several towns have not yet institutionalized these measures through local legislation.
The ordinance aims to integrate these local efforts to standardize disease surveillance and public health responses.
Under the proposed measure, health workers will receive specialized training in disease surveillance to identify early case spikes and implement swift interventions.
Sabo-Fermin said she anticipates support from local officials regarding allocations for the system.
“I think hindi naman siguro mag-sesecond thought ang ating mga local officials na magbigay ng funds dyan, kasi ang makikita naman nila is this ordinance is for the community. It’s for the betterment of the community… ang disaster kasi hindi mo rin alam kung kailan. So, I hope that they will support this one (I think our local officials will not second-guess providing funds for this because they will see that this ordinance is for the community. It’s for the betterment of the community… you never know when a disaster will strike. So, I hope that they will support this one),” Sabo-Fermin added. Jerome Jacy Cruz | UC Intern
