Komunidad Links Up with City Savings Bank to Scale Up Disaster Risk Reduction Programs in 2 LGUs

Komunidad has partnered with City Savings Bank and Aboitiz Foundation to strengthen the disaster risk reduction programs of two local government units in the Philippines and, in turn, empower them to join the #EarlyWarningsForAll Movement.

The year-long project, dubbed as Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) 2.0 program, will help put up an early warning system in the municipality of Caramoran in Catanduanes, and Dinapigue town in Isabela province, with the support of Komunidad, CitySavings, and the Foundation.

This is in part of the commitment of CitySavings, a member of the Aboitiz Group, to Corporate Social Responsibility projects that co-create resilient, empowered, and sustainable communities. The Foundation is throwing its support as it also recognizes that part of its goal is to enable various stakeholders and partners to prevent and prepare for, and quickly recover from, the detrimental effects of disastrous events or unforeseen circumstances.

The DRR 2.0 program hopes to strengthen the leadership and augment the governance capacities of the LGU by improving disaster preparedness and response to hazards and disasters through data-based decision support tools created by Komunidad.

 The Foundation and CitySavings will fund the project. As part of its share, CitySavings will donate to the LGU one laptop computer, with mouse, that can be used to access Komunidad’s Early Warning System. Technical support for the planning, implementation and monitoring of the program will also be given.

Komunidad will enable access to its Climate Action Center that shall cover one GPS location per LGU. 

One portal user account will be given to the LGU which will have access to Komunidad’s Site Analysis Dashboard that covers one GPS location and that features five data parameters. They will also be given 5,000 Early Warning Alert credits, which can be sent through SMS or Viber. An event-triggered report and one scheduled daily report will also be sent to five identified recipients.

In turn, the LGU, through its Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, shall ensure that the information they glean from Komunidad’s decision support tools shall be utilized to enhance their disaster preparedness and climate adaptation programs. This can be done by including Komunidad’s Climate Adaptation Suite into their local DRRM plan for project adoption and sustainability.

LGU DRRM officers and key stakeholders shall also receive training on climate and weather systems and parameters and the use of decision support tools and digital platforms.

Relevant information shall also be cascaded to other communities and stakeholders through knowledge-sharing and capacity-building activities. Komunidad will also join the LGU in conducting Information, Education, and Communication campaigns to expand service reach and increase awareness among end-users and community members.

This will increase the knowledge and capacity of the local disaster risk and reduction management team of the LGU.Komunidad hopes that more LGUs, communities and industries will continue to walk with them in the #EarlyWarningsForAll Movement that will empower them to better prepare for natural disasters and save more lives.