Now that the country is at the peak of the typhoon season, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) is reiterating its call to local government units (LGUs) to ensure that their communities are alert or “listo” as it launched the updated version of the Operation L!sto Manual, a checklist on the “things-to-do” before, during, and after a disaster strikes at the local level.
“Kailangang siguraduhin ng mga local chief executives na handa at listo ang kanilang lugar kapag may sakuna. With the help of the Operation L!sto Manual, they will have a step-by-step guide on what actions to take in preparation for, during, and after disasters,” said DILG Undersecretary and Spokesperson Jonathan E. Malaya during a media forum recently at the Local Government Academy (LGA).
Malaya said that the enhanced version of the Manual contains a foolproof preparedness checklist not only for city and municipal mayors, DILG field officers, chiefs of police (COPS) and fire marshals but also for provincial governors.
“They can never go wrong with the Operation L!sto Manual because it was designed to help our frontline local government officials deal with the challenges that they may encounter during disasters. Mas magiging madali para sa kanila ang magdesisyon at umaksyon,”he said.
The latest edition of the Manual also provides authority to local chief executives (LCEs) to undertake pre-emptive or mandatory evacuation when necessary and other progressive actions depending on the alert level in the locality. The Alert Level can be categorized into Alpha for low-risk areas, Bravo for medium-risk areas, and Charlie for most critical areas.
“Local chief executives, who are required to be physically present especially in times of disasters, can better assess the impending danger in their areas so they are now empowered to direct pre-emptive or mandatory evacuation measures even at the Alpha level,” he said.
Meanwhile, LGA Assistant Director Esmeralda Daphne N. Purnell said that this third and enhanced version of the Manual consolidates the Checklist of Early Preparedness Actions for Mayors, Checklist of Minimum Critical Preparedness Actions for Mayors, and Checklist for City/Municipal Local Government Operations Officers, Chief of Police, and Fire Marshalls into one reference material.
“It also contains the monitoring and coordinating function of the mayor through the local risk reduction and management officer (LDRRMO) with the COPs, DILG field officers, and fire marshalls,” she added.
The enhanced Manual also is one of many DRR-CCA tools of the DILG through the LGA along with the Enhanced Local Climate Change Action Plan Guidebook, Quality Assurance System of Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plan, and the Resilience Scorecard towards crafting, planning, and implementing strategic solutions in building safe and resilient communities.
The Manual is a component of the Operation L!sto, a national advocacy program of the DILG for disaster preparedness that strengthens the capacity and level of preparedness of LGUs through the L!sto teams in national and local governments. # Source – www.dilg.gov.ph
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